Bulandshahr gangrape case: 9 years on, 5 convicts get life term for assaulting mother-daughter duo

Bulandshahr (The Uttam Hindu) : A court has delivered a harsh verdict in the horrific gang rape and robbery case that occurred on National Highway 91 in 2016. Special POCSO Judge OP Verma sentenced the five accused to life imprisonment and a fine of ₹1.81 lakh each. The court ordered that half of the fine be given to the teenage victim and her mother. The victim's family had demanded the death penalty for the accused.

While pronouncing the sentence, ADG C Varun Kaushik, representing the prosecution, stated that it was essential to keep such criminals away from civilized society. However, after hearing the sentence, the convicts objected to the verdict, claiming their innocence. The CBI had filed a charge sheet against a total of six accused in this case. One of these accused has already died in jail due to illness, while two others were killed in encounters by Noida and Haryana police in separate cases.

The family was going for a thirteenth day ceremony, the car was stopped on the highway

The incident took place on the night of 28 July 2016. A family from Noida was going to attend a thirteenth day ceremony in their ancestral village Shahjahanpur. Near Dostpur flyover in Dehat Kotwali area, miscreants stopped the car by throwing an iron object at it. After this, all the family members were taken hostage and taken to a field along with the car. There, the hands and legs of three men were tied and a 14-year-old girl and her mother were gang-raped. After the incident, the accused looted and fled.

Initial investigations into the case revealed serious negligence by the local police, leading to government action against 17 police officers, including the SSP. Three of the accused initially arrested were found innocent. Subsequently , the investigation was handed over to the CBI on the orders of the Allahabad High Court.

The CBI investigation revealed the names of the accused associated with the Bawariya gang—Zubair alias Sunil alias Parvez, Salim alias Beena alias Diwanji, Sajid (a resident of Kannauj), and others. Based on the evidence, a charge sheet was filed against Zubair, Salim, and Sajid, and charges were framed on April 11, 2017. After a lengthy trial, the court has now delivered justice to the victims by sentencing the culprits to life imprisonment.