A woman was gang-raped and her face and several parts of her body were burnt with acid. That day the guardian became the hunter. A court in Mizoram gave a landmark judgment in the case, which took place almost eight years ago.
Additional District and Sessions Judge Sylvi Jomuanpui Ralte sentenced the two BSF personnel convicted in the incident to 42 years rigorous imprisonment.
The two accused are Nilanjan Das and Dinesh Kumar. At the time of the incident, they were working at a BSF camp in the area adjacent to the Mizoram-Bangladesh border.
After a lengthy investigation and trial, Additional District and Sessions Judge Sylvie Jomuanpui Ralte convicted them on various counts on June 12 and later sentenced them.
The incident took place on July 16, 2017 near Gaskata river in Silchuri West village of Mamit district in Mizoram. Investigation revealed that the young woman and her companion had gone to the forest to collect crabs and wild vegetables. At that time they met the accused.
After taking the victim to a nearby coconut grove and gang-raping her, two BSF personnel poured acid on her face. Acid is sprinkled on various parts of the deceased’s body.
The victim told the court that as a result of the attack, he suffered serious injuries in various parts of his body. His entire face was burnt. He even lost sight in one eye. During the investigation of the case, forensic information is collected from the victim’s clothing, crime scene and other evidence. He later identified the accused in a test identification parade. The court described his testimony as consistent and credible.
In terms of punishment, the court imposed separate sentences for the three separate offenses – 20 years for gang rape, 10 years for rape causing grievous bodily harm and 12 years for acid attack. The court said the sentences will run consecutively, totaling 42 years in prison. Each accused was also fined Rs.60.0.
However, the court also commented on another important aspect of the case. The body of the victim was found a few days after the incident. However, the two soldiers killed could not be found guilty.
Judge’s Observations- Prosecution has failed to show complete circumstantial evidence to prove direct link of accused with murder. As a result, they were acquitted. After nearly eight years of trial, the verdict has created a stir in Mizoram.
