Vadodara court sentences 5 men to life term for gang rape of minor Hindu girl during Navratri

Vadodara: A special court in Vadodara on Monday sentenced five men to imprisonment for the remainder of their lives for the gang rape of a 16-year-old girl in the Bhayli area during Navratri in 2024.

The court also directed the convicts to pay ₹10 lakh as compensation to the victim and imposed a collective fine of ₹1 lakh under various sections of law, district government pleader Anil Desai, who represented the prosecution, said.

The prosecution had sought the death penalty for the five men on August 25, or life imprisonment as an alternative, citing the seriousness of the offence. The defence, meanwhile, had sought the minimum punishment, pointing out that the accused were married and had families and children.

Opposing the defence plea, Desai argued that the same family responsibilities existed when the men committed the crime. He also submitted that most of the accused were in their early twenties and could be released by their forties if given a 20-year sentence, which he said would not be adequate considering the gravity of the offence.

The Vadodara POCSO court had convicted the five men on August 20 in connection with the October 4, 2024, gang rape case.

The incident occurred on the second night of Navratri, when the girl was returning from a garba event with a male friend. According to the prosecution, the five accused intercepted them at a secluded location in the Bhayli area on motorcycles, took the keys of their two-wheeler and threatened to inform the girl’s family.

The accused allegedly assaulted and threatened both of them before gang-raping the girl. The five convicts have been identified as Munna Abbas Banjara, Mumtaz alias Aftab Banjara, Shahrukh Banjara, Saif Ali Banjara and Ajmal Banjara. They lived in the Tandalja area and worked as labourers.

During the trial, the prosecution examined 45 witnesses and presented CCTV footage, medical evidence and other material in support of its case.

DeshGujarat