Frontline – July 05, 2019

CRIME

ONJune10, the DistrictandSes-
sionsCourtof Pathankot,Punjab,
convicted six of the seven accusedin
theKathuagang-rape case.Theab-
duction, rape and murder of an
eight-year-old girlbelongingto the
nomadic Bakarwal community at
Rasana village near the city of
Kathua in Jammu division of
JammuandKashmircameto light
on January17, 2018,whenthe police
foundthevictim’sbody,daysafter
herfatherhadreportedhermissing.
Thecourtsentenced threeof the
mainaccusedto lifeimprisonment.
Threeothers weresentencedtofive
yearsin prisonfordestruction of
evidence. The seventh accused,
VishalJangotra,sonof themaster-
mindof thecrimeSanjhiRam,was
giventhe “benefit of doubt” and
acquitted.
SanjhiRam,61, wasa formerof-
ficialof theStategovernment,the
villageheadandalsothe caretaker of
thetemplein which thegirlwas
gang-rapedandkilled. Theothertwo
mainaccusedare DeepakKhajuria, a
SpecialPoliceOfficer, andParvesh
Kumar, whowasa friendof Sanjhi
Ram’snephew.Thenephewwasalso
named in the charge sheet but
claimedto be a juvenile.Histrial will
likelybeginafter the State High
Courthearshis petitionto determine
his age.All the three were convicted
undervarious sectionsandprovi-
sions of the Ranbir Penal Code
(RPC):Section120-B(criminalcon-
spiracy),Section 302 (murder),Sec-
tion376-D(gangrape),kidnapping,
destruction of evidence, drugging
thevictimandcommon intention.

Theirjail termsfor various offences

underthe RPCwillrunconcurrently

with their life sentences, which

meansthattheywillbe in prisonun-

til theendof theirnaturallife.In

addition,theyhaveto payafine of

Rs.1lakheach.(TheRPCis a crim-

inalcodeapplicable in Jammu and

Kashmir.TheIndian PenalCodeis

not applicablein the State underArt-

icle 370 of the Constitution.)

Thethreeaccomplices—Special

Police Officer Surinder Kumar,

HeadConstableTilakRajandSub-

Inspector Anand Dutta—were

chargedwithdestructionof evidence

andtakingbribes.

Theprosecutionteamdemanded

thedeathpenaltyfor themainac-

cusedandwilllikelyto go in for ap-

peal against the acquittal of

Jangotra. Theconvicts arelikelyto

PTI

SANJHIRAMand otheraccused being takento the Districtand Sessions

Courtin Pathankot,Punjab,on June 10.

Speedy justice

ThePathankotSessionsCourtsentencesthreemainaccusedinthe

Kathuarapecasetolifeimprisonmentandthreeotherstofiveyears

inprison.BYDIVYATRIVEDI