The three main accused in the gang rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl from Kathua were sentenced to life imprisonment by a court here, lawyers said.
Sanji Ram, the caretaker of the temple where the crime took place, Special Police Officer Deepak Khajuria and Parvesh Kumar, a civilian, have been convicted under Ranbir Penal Code sections pertaining to criminal conspiracy, murder, kidnapping, gang rape, destruction of evidence, drugging the victim and common intention, the lawyers said.
They have been sentenced to life imprisonment and fined Rs 1 lakh each for murder along with 25 years in jail for gang rape, they said.
Sanji Ram, the village head, his juvenile nephew Anand Datta and two special police officers Deepak Khajuria and Surender Verma have been convicted. Also convicted are Head Constable Tilak Raj and Sub-inspector Anand Datta, who allegedly took Rs 4 lakh from Sanji Ram and destroyed crucial evidence.
Three accomplices, Sub-Inspector Anand Dutta, Head Constable Tilak Raj and Special Police Officer Surender Verma, who were convicted for destruction of evidence have been handed over five years imprisonment, they said.
Earlier, a special court convicted these six people, while a seventh accused, Vishal, who is the son of main accused Sanji Ram, was acquitted.
"The court has convicted six persons. Son of one of the accused Sanji Ram, Vishal has been acquitted,” Farooqi Khan, lawyer of victim’s family said after the sentencing.
The Supreme Court had on May 7, 2018, transferred the case from Kathua to Pathankot in Punjab. The in-camera trial in the case that shook the nation ended on June 3.
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According to the 15-page charge sheet, the eight-year-old girl, who was kidnapped on January 10 last year, was allegedly raped in captivity in a small village temple in Kathua district after having been kept sedated for four days before she was bludgeoned to death.
The girl’s body was found on January 17 and autopsy confirmed gang rape and murder.
The day-to-day trial commenced in the first week of June last year at the district and sessions court in Pathankot in Punjab, about 100 km from Jammu and 30 km from Kathua, after the Supreme Court ordered that the case be shifted out of Jammu and Kashmir.
The court had framed charges under the Ranbir Penal Code (RPC), including Sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy), 302 (murder) and 376-D (gang-rape), according to the prosecution. The accused face minimum life imprisonment and maximum death penalty.