IMPHAL | Dec 18 : The additional sessions judged Fast Track Court, FTC, Crime Against Women, CAW, Manipur, A. Noutuneshwari Devi, today convicted three individual of raping of a girl three years ago in Imphal East district.
The three individuals convicted by the court have been identified as one Khuraijam Bungbung, 30 year old, (L) Indrajit Singh of Lamlongei, Nongthombam Bocha alias Biren Singh, 43, son of N. Bihari Singh of Lamlongei Mantripukhri Maning Leikai and Khuraijam Khamba Singh, 26, son of Kh Guno Singh of Lamlongei Mantripukhri Maning Leikai. They were convicted under section 376-D of IPC Gang rape of a woman.
The judgement order of the court said, “In the conclusion the prosecution has successfully established beyond reasonable doubt that all the three accused persons namely Bungbung, Bocha and Khamba have committed gang-rape to the victim on 22-01-2014 (evening) at the Leihaopokpi hillock.
Hence the accused persons namely Bungbung, Bocha and Khamba are convicted u/s 376-D of the Indian Panel Code”.
The three convict raped Naobi (name changed) on the evening of January 22, 2014 at the Leihaopokpi hillock, in Imphal East district.
Following the incident, the uncle of the victim lodged a complaint with the Heingang police station around 1 pm the next day (January 23). The police lodged a regular case under FIR no. 04(1) 2014 under section 376/34 IPC.
In his complaint, the uncle said that his niece was kidnapped by three persons at Lamlongei when she (Naobi) was coming from Mantripukhri and after detaining for few minutes at Lamlongei she was raped at Lamlongei jungle.
After thorough investigation of the case charge sheet was submitted and then the case was committed to Session Judge, Imphal East as the offence is exclusively trialable by the court of sessions. Later the case was transferred to the FTC.
Subsequently, charge was framed on July 24, 2017 against the accused u/s 109/354/376/385 and 34 IPC of the IPC.
During the trial it was established by the court with evidence on records that it was gang-rape and thus u/s 376-D IPC was slapped against the accused.
The court order further said “Applying the legal position with regards to the provision of Sec. 376-D IPC on the evidence on record, in the present case, the prosecutrix P.W no.7 was slapped and her boyfriend was kicked and beaten by the three accused persons while sitting together at the Leihaokpokpi hill-lock, then snatched away their mobile phones, and taken away the boyfriend under threat by accused Khamba and Bocha molested the victim by holding right breast of the victim and hold the two hands of the victims from her backside, pulling down the trouser and panty upto knee of the victim by accused Bubgbung forcibly raped the victim whereas the accused Bocha had escorted thereby standing near to them. So the evidence on records speak of the participation of the commission of crime jointly and then committed gang-rape to the victim. As such all the three accused persons are thus liable jointly for the offence committed to the victim girl.”
The sentence hearing of the case has been fixed on December 20 by the court.
Sourc: Imphal Free Press
