Delhi: Court sentences two men to life imprisonment in 2014 Mathura acid attack case

A Delhi Court on Wednesday sentenced two men to life imprisonment and handed over 10 years jail to another man in 2014 acid attack case in Mathura, Uttar Pradesh.

Additional Sessions Judge Rakesh Syal awarded life imprisonment to Hakim and Umesh and slapped a fine of Rs 1 lakh on each of them. The court also awarded 10-year jail term to Gyani and imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 on him.

The court has convicted them under charges of Section 326A (voluntarily causing grievous hurt by use of acid) and Section 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of Indian Penal Code.

"It is considered that prosecution has been able to prove its case under Section 326A IPC against all the three accused persons. Therefore, all the three accused persons namely Hakim, Umesh and Gyani are held guilty for commission of offence punishable under Section 326A/34 IPC and they are convicted accordingly," the court said.

The prosecution told the court that on June 8, 2014, accused Hakim and Gyani caught the victim and Umesh poured acid over her and ran away.

The victim in her statement to police had said that on June 8 2014, at about 8.00 PM, she was returning to her house after having 'darshan' of Galteshwar Mahadev and on the way, near Govind Nagar Railway crossing in Mathura, accused Hakim, Umesh and Gyani, who were living in their mohalla in Govind Nagar, met her and told her that they would not spare her. Hakim and Gyani caught her and Umesh poured acid over her and then they ran away.

On a petition filed by the complainant, the Supreme Court vide order dated 01.09.2015, had transferred this case from Mathura to Delhi. Advocate Mukul Kumar was assigned to conduct prosecution in this case. Mukul Kumar, Public Prosecutor has argued that the testimony of witnesses including victim regarding accused Hakim and Gyani catching hold of her and accused Umesh pouring acid on her has gone unimpeached and unrebutted and they were able to identify the accused persons.