IMPHAL, December 11: Two persons were injured during lathi-charge by police inside the Cheirap Court complex, after a group of people, unhappy with the sentences given to the two convicts in the TG rape case, turned violent today.
The District and Session Court, Manipur East, Judge A Guneshwar had awarded 15 years of imprisonment to former police driver Yumnam Willam and Manipuri film actor Thongam Tarun today. The people who were impatiently waiting at the court room protested that the sentence was not appropriate.
The judge had on December 9 pronounced the two guilty in the rape case.
Meanwhile, expressing satisfaction with the sentences awarded, Special Public Prosecutor Ng Tejkumar said that the two convicts have been awarded 15 years of imprisonment for the gang rape of the girl. A fine of Rs 25,000 each are to be paid within 10 years under Section 372 (2) (g) of the Indian Penal Code and in case of failure of payment, another three years of imprisonment will be added to their sentences.
The two have also been awarded 10 years of imprisonment for criminal conspiracy with a fine of Rs 10000 each under Section 120 (B) and in case of failure to pay the fines during their imprisonment, two years of imprisonment will be added to their sentences.
Around 2.30 this afternoon, a large crowd including women, JAC members, family members and supporters gheraod the Cheirap Court complex on hearing that the Judge has sentenced the two convicts to 15 years of imprisonment each. The crowd chanted demands for capital punishment of the two convicts.
Later, the two convicts were brought out of the court complex and pushed into the prisoner van under heavy security provision of the Under Trial Prisoner Escort Party and a combined team of male and female police personnel of the Imphal Police Station.
While the two rape convicts were being moved out of the court complex along with the other under trials, angry protestors from amongst the crowd pelted stones at the van.
Following the attack, the security forces reacted with a lathi-charge, during which two relatives of the victim identified as her uncle Ng Surjit, 24, and aunt Ng Devala, 27, were injured.
Meanwhile, Special Public Prosecutor Ng Tejkumar said that the judge of the District and Session Court, Manipur East has also passed a directive to the Social Welfare department to provide Rs 1,50,000 to the victim and the state government to check whether the restaurants in the state are being run under proper regulations.