Four get life term in Shakti Mills gang rape case

Mumbai, Mar 21: A Mumbai sessions court on Friday awarded life sentence to four convicts in one of the two gang rape cases that took place at the Shakti Mills compound in 2013. The survivor, who worked as a telephone operator was violated in July last year.

However, she registered the case much later, after the gang rape of a photojournalist by five men at the same location on August 22, 2013, came to light. Three of the five accused are common to both the cases.

While arguing on the quantum of sentence in the telephone operator case, special public prosecutor, Ujjwal Nikam told the court that the maximum punishment of life imprisonment should be awarded to the accused as provided under the new amended provision for rape laws under the IPC.

"These accused have a criminal tendency and should be awarded strictest of punishment, which will serve as a deterrent," Mr. Nikam told the court.

Two weeks after the photojournalist's gang rape, the telephone operator from Mumbai came forward to register a police complaint alleging that she too was gang-raped at Shakti Mills in July 2013. She had gone there with her boyfriend, who was also tied up while she was violated.

The four convicts who were awarded the life term include Vijay Jadhav, Qasim Sheikh alias Bengali, Salim Ansari and Mohammad Ashfak Shaikh.

On Thursday, the sessions court convicted them on 13 counts, including gang rape, destruction of evidence, criminal conspiracy and certain sections of the IT Act.

Maharashtra Home Minister R.R. Patil who was present in court on Thursday, said, “The judgment was delivered in record time. Mumbai prides itself in being a safe city for women. This verdict will be a deterrent.”

The fifth accused, a minor in the telephone operator gang rape case, is being tried by the Juvenile Justice Board. Speaking after the verdict on Thursday, then Crime Branch chief Himanshu Roy, who led the investigation said, “My personal view is that the age for trying a juvenile who commits a crime like this should be reduced to 16 years.”