By NE NOW NEWS
Aizawl: A local court in Mizoram has sentenced two Border Security Force (BSF) jawans to 42 years of rigorous imprisonment each for gang raping a woman and attacking her with a corrosive substance in west Mizoram’s Mamit district in 2017.
Additional District and Sessions Judge of Aizawl district court, Sylvie Zomuanpuii Ralte on June 12 convicted Nilanjan Das, a resident of West Bengal and Dinesh Kumar of Uttar Pradesh under Sections 376D (gang rape), 376(2)(m) (rape causing grievous bodily harm) and 326A (acid attack) of the Indian Penal Code.
The quantum of punishment was announced on Tuesday.
The court sentenced both convicts to 20 years’ rigorous imprisonment under Section 376D IPC, 10 years under Section 376(2)(m) IPC and 12 years under Section 326A IPC, amounting to a total of 42 years’ rigorous imprisonment, which will run consecutively.
The court also imposed a fine of Rs. 60,000 each under the three count and on default they will undergo additional 2 months imprisonment under each count.
The case dates back to July 16, 2017, when a woman was allegedly gang-raped and attacked with a corrosive substance near the Gaskata river in Silsuri West village.
Police registered a case at Marpara police station on July 18, 2017, under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code, including gang rape, acid attack and murder, following a comlaint filed by the victim’s brother.
According to court records, the victim and her companion Rangobi, had gone to the forest near the Gaskata stream to collect crabs and wild vegetables when they encountered the accused, who were then posted at a BSF camp in the area along the Mizoram-Bangladesh border.
The survivor testified that the two men forcibly took her to a nearby betel nut plantation, sexually assaulted her and later poured a corrosive substance on her face, causing severe burns, permanent facial disfigurement and loss of vision in one eye.
The court said that the victim’s friend briefly moved away from the spot when the incident occurred.
The victim’s companion was found dead near the crime scene several days after the incident.
Post-mortem and forensic examinations concluded that she had been murdered.
During the investigation, police recovered forensic evidence from the survivor’s clothing as well as from the deceased’s remains.
Laboratory examinations detected traces of a corrosive substance linked to the attack.
Investigators also examined duty rosters at the 181 Battalion BSF camp and identified Nilanjan Das and Dinesh Kumar as personnel deployed for food supplies on the day of the crime.
The survivor positively identified the two accused during a Test Identification Parade conducted before a Judicial Magistrate on September 5, 2017, the court said.
During the trial, the prosecution examined 18 witnesses, including medical experts, investigating officers and local residents.
The court relied heavily on the survivor’s testimony, which it described as consistent and trustworthy.
It held that the survivor’s account was corroborated by medical findings and scientific evidence showing injuries caused by a corrosive substance.
However, the court acquitted both jawans of the charge of murder under Section 302 IPC in connection with the death of Rangobi, whose body was recovered from a forest area on July 27, 2017.
The judge ruled that the prosecution had failed to establish beyond reasonable doubt that the accused were responsible for her death, noting the absence of a complete chain of circumstantial evidence linking them to the homicide.