Lucknow: A court in Lakhimpur Kheri, Uttar Pradesh, Monday sentenced two youths to life imprisonment for the September 2022 gang rape and murder of two minor Dalit sisters.
Two others have been sentenced to six years’ imprisonment for the crime. All four — Junaid, Sunil alias Chhotu (who was known to the family), Karimuddin and Arif — were convicted last week.
According to the sisters’ mother, an eyewitness, they were abducted from outside their house. Their bodies were found hanging from a tree around two hours later, and autopsy confirmed they had been raped and strangulated. They were aged 15 and 17.
Junaid and Chhotu have been found guilty under IPC sections 302 (murder), 376DA (gangrape of a girl aged below 16), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 452 (house trespass), 363 (kidnapping), 201 (destroying evidence) and 34 (common intention), and under the POCSO Act.
Apart from the life sentence, they have been fined Rs 46,000.
Karimuddin and Arif have been found guilty under IPC Section 201 (destroying evidence), and face a fine of Rs 5,000 besides the jail sentence.
Two other suspects are juveniles, aged 15 and 17.5 years. UP Police said in a statement Monday that the proceedings against the juveniles have been completed as well.
The Juvenile Justice Board will soon pronounce its decision on the one aged 15, it added, saying the judgment regarding the older juvenile — tried in the POCSO court since he is older than 16 and accused of a heinous crime — is expected soon too. His court records are being handled separately on account of his age.
Speaking to mediapersons, special public prosecutor Brijesh Pandey said the special investigation team (SIT) formed to probe the case filed its chargesheet in the court of special judge (POCSO) on 28 September last year.
“The trial has been completed within a year,” he added, saying the court had ordered Rs 50,000 of the cumulative fine amount of Rs 1.02 lakh to be given to the girls’ family.
This report has been edited to clarify the status of proceedings against the juveniles who are among the accused in the crime
(Edited by Sunanda Ranjan)
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