Life in jail for rapists of Bangalore law student

A fast-track court here Friday sentenced six people to life imprisonment after convicting them for the gangrape of a law student in the Bangalore University campus last October.

Pronouncing the sentence, Civil and Sessions Judge (V) Sangannavar said all the convicts would have to spend all their life in prison till their natural death.

The sentence includes a fine of Rs.1,000 on each convict.

Though eight people were involved in the gruesome incident, the seventh accused (Raja) has been absconding since then, while the eighth is being tried separately in the juvenile justice court as he was a minor when the crime was committed.

The 21-year-old victim, who hails from Nepal, was a third year student of the state-run National Law School of India University, which is adjacent to the Jnana Bharati campus of the Bangalore University, about 20 km from the city centre.

The accused were convicted Wednesday under section 376 (g) of the Indian Penal Code for gangrape, which carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment, and other relevant sections of the IPC.

According to public prosecutor Sanjya Kumar Bhatt, the court had directed the victim to claim compensation for the physical scar and lasting mental scar from the criminal injuries board

"Justifying the maximum sentence, the judge said punishment should meet the seriousness and gravity of the crime, which involved not just the physical torture, but also the mental trauma of the victim that won't go away for long time," Bhatt said quoting from the judgement.

The judge also took into account the pubic abhorrence of such heinous crimes in recent times across the country in deciding the life sentence for those convicted.

The six convicts -- Rama and Yaliyaiah (both 23 years), Maddura, Shivanna and Erayya (all 20 years) and Doddaerayya (19 years) - are residents of Bangalore Rural and Ramnagara districts.

The incident took place Oct 13, 2012 when the victim was out on a walk in the sprawling green campus along with her male friend.

Taking advantage of the secluded spot and darkness, the gang bashed up the friend and sexually assaulted the victim after taking her forcibly into the nearby bushes.