Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Aizawl: An Aizawl court has sentenced two Border Security Force personnel to 42 years of rigorous imprisonment for the gang rape and acid attack of a woman in 2017. Additional District and Sessions Judge Sylvie Zomuanpuii Ralte delivered the verdict on June 16, following the conviction of Nilanjan Das and Dinesh Kumar on June 12.
The incident occurred on July 16, 2017, near the Gaskata river in Mamit district. The victim and her companion, Rangobi, were gathering food in a forested area when they encountered the soldiers. The court found that the men forcibly abducted the woman to a nearby plantation, where they committed the assault. Following the rape, the attackers poured a corrosive substance on the victim, causing permanent disfigurement and the loss of sight in one eye.
The court awarded the convicts 20 years for gang rape, 10 years for causing grievous bodily harm, and 12 years for the acid attack. These sentences will run consecutively, totaling 42 years. Each convict must also pay a fine of Rs 60,000, or face additional jail time. The judge noted that the victim's account was essential to the ruling, stating that the court placed significant reliance on the survivor's testimony, describing it as "consistent, credible and trustworthy."
While the victim's companion, Rangobi, was found dead near the crime scene, the court acquitted both men of murder charges. Judge Ralte ruled that the prosecution failed to provide a complete chain of circumstantial evidence to link the BSF personnel to the homicide. The conviction concludes a legal battle that began after the victim's brother filed a formal complaint at the Marpara Police Station shortly after the attack.
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