Gang rape prime accused awarded life sentence, co-accused 20 yrs imprisonment
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, December 20 2017: Addi-tional Session Judge, Fast Track Court (Crime Against Women), A Noutuneshwari, in a landmark judgement and a first of its kind in the country regarding gang rape case, sentenced prime accused Khuraijam Bungbung to rigorous imprisonment for life and his associates to 20 years of rigorous imprison-ment .

The sentence is the first judgement announced in the country after 376-D Indian Panel Code (Gang Rape) was amended in 2014 after the Delhi Nirbhaiya gang rape case .

The order was announced by the Judge after the sentence hearing of the gang rape case before the Court today .

Gang rape prime accused awarded life sentence, co-accused 20 yrs imprisonment

The three accused of the case, Khuraijam Bungbung (30) s/o (L) Indrajit of Lamlongei, Nongthombam Bocha alias Biren (40) s/o N Bihari of Lamlongei Mantri-pukhri Maning Leikai and Khuraijam Khamba (26) s/o Kh Guro of Lamlongei Mantripukhri Maning Leikai, were convicted by the Court on December 18 .

During the sentence hearing today, Special PP Sushila Devi, representing the State, Advocate Somo-rendro, counsel of convict Kh Bungbung, Advocate Binodini Devi, counsel of convict N Bocha and Advocate Sanajaoba Yelem- cha, counsel of convict Kh Khamba, were present at the Court in connection with the sentence to be awarded to the three convicts .

Sushila Devi submitted that the accused individuals were convicted for committing gang rape which is a serious offence and the crime they committed is very much against the society as well .

The defense counsels of Kh Bungbung and N Bocha submitted that both the convict are now 30 and 43 years old respectively, have their own families as well as children and prayed for leniency while sentencing them as they have no previous criminal antecedents .

On the other hand, the defense counsel of N Khamba submitted that the convict is a newly married person and till date he has had no issue nor any previous antecedent .

The counsel also submitted that the incident is his first offence and the convict has no knowledge of the prevailing law and as such prayed for leniency .

After going through the materials on record, the submissions of the Special PP, counsels of the convicts and other mitigating factors submitted by the counsels, the Court mentioned that the crime committed by the convicts is not only injustice to the victim but also to the society as a whole and as such it finds it reasonable to sentence the convicts .

The Court sentenced prime accused Khuraijam Bungbung to rigorous imprisonment for life and also imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 .

It also sentenced Nongthombam Bocha and Khuraijam Khamba to rigorous imprisonment for a period of 20 years each and a fine of Rs 5000 each .

It further ordered that in default of the payment of the fine, the convicts are to undergo three months simple imprisonment .

The order also mentioned that the said fine of Rs 20,000 (total) shall be deposited to the Court and the same will be given to the victim as compensation.

It further mentioned that the period N Bocha and Kh Khamba spent in judicial custody and during the period of the investigation, if any, will be set off from the sentence .

The Court also recommended providing compensation to the victim under the victim compensation scheme and also recommended providing a compensation of Rs 2 lakh to the victim from the Financial Assistance and Support Services to Victims of Rape, a scheme for retrospective justice launched by the Ministry of Women and Child Development.