A court in Mizoram has sentenced two Border Security Force (BSF) personnel to lengthy prison terms for their involvement in a brutal gang rape and acid attack that took place in Mamit district nearly nine years ago.
Additional District and Sessions Judge Sylvie Zomuanpuii Ralte of the Aizawl Judicial District convicted Nilanjan Das and Dinesh Kumar on charges of gang rape, causing grievous injuries during the sexual assault, and acid attack.
Although one of the victims was later found dead, the court acquitted the two men of the murder charge, holding that the prosecution had failed to establish the offence beyond reasonable doubt.
The judgment, delivered on June 12 and made public on June 16, sentenced both convicts to rigorous imprisonment of 20 years, 12 years and 10 years under separate counts.
The court also imposed fines of Rs 20,000 for each offence, with additional simple imprisonment in the event of non-payment. All the sentences will run concurrently.
The court further observed that the period already spent by the convicts in judicial custody during the trial would be set off against the sentence awarded. It also noted that the convicts retain the right to challenge the verdict before a higher court.
The case dates back to July 2017 when two women ventured near the Gaskata river in Mamit district to collect crabs and wild vegetables.
One of the women survived the attack but suffered severe facial disfigurement and partial loss of eyesight after being assaulted with a corrosive substance. Her companion went missing and was later found dead during a police search operation.
Medical examinations conducted shortly after the incident revealed evidence of recent sexual assault and injuries consistent with an attempt to cause permanent disfigurement to the survivor.
During the investigation, police examined BSF duty records and identified the two accused as personnel deployed in the area at the time of the crime. Investigators initially faced difficulties in securing the arrest of the suspects and obtaining their biological samples.
However, following further administrative intervention, the investigation progressed and culminated in the arrest of the accused after the survivor identified them during a judicial test identification parade conducted in September 2017.
The trial saw the examination of 18 witnesses and extensive scrutiny of documentary and forensic evidence. While the court found insufficient grounds to convict the accused of murder, it held the BSF men guilty of gang rape and acid attack, imposing substantial prison terms.
Also Read: Sinking Sikkim: The Himalaya we’re engineering into collapse