Today, nearly a decade after a family endured a brutal assault on a national highway, a Special Court in Uttar Pradesh, under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 (POCSO Act), has delivered stringent punishment to the perpetrators, marking the culmination of a protracted trial involving offences under the Indian Penal Code and child protection laws.
The case stemmed from a harrowing incident on a national highway in Uttar Pradesh, when a family travelling by car from Noida to Shahjahanpur to attend a relative's funeral encountered a deliberate obstruction near Dostpur village in the Kotwali Dehat area of Bulandshahr. A loud impact against their vehicle prompted them to stop and step out for inspection, whereupon they were swiftly surrounded by armed assailants. Held at gunpoint, the victims were marched into an adjacent field, where the male members were bound with ropes and beaten upon showing resistance. The perpetrators then committed gang rape upon the woman and her 14-year-old daughter before robbing the family of their belongings and fleeing.
The prosecution, represented by Assistant District Government Counsel Varun Kaushik, pursued charges against six accused for aggravated robbery, gang rape under Section 376D of the Indian Penal Code, and penetrative sexual assault on a minor under the POCSO Act. A chargesheet was filed encompassing these provisions. One accused, Salim, expired during the pendency of the trial, leaving five to face adjudication.
Additional District Judge (POCSO) Om Prakash Verma-III, presiding over the special court, convicted the five surviving accused, Zuber alias Sunil, Sajid, Dharmveer alias Raka, Sunil alias Sagar, and Naresh alias Sandeep, on December 20, 2025, after evaluating the evidence presented in the trial.
Finally, the court sentenced each of the five convicts to imprisonment for life, coupled with a fine of Rs 1.81 lakh. The penalty reflects the gravity of the compounded offences of robbery, accompanied by gang rape of both an adult and a minor victim.
Source PTI
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