Ex-BJP leader's son, 13 others get double lifer for gangrape

The son of a former BJP councillor was among 14 persons sentenced to double life imprisonment by a local court today for gangrape of two teenage girls at Betma in the district last year.
Of 16 persons accused in the case, two are minors and they are being tried by a juvenile court.
Additional Sessions Judge A K Singh sentenced the 14 accused to double life imprisonment after convicting them under section 376 of IPC (rape) and other related sections on the basis of testimony given by ten witness in the case.
Among the convicted are Vikas Bharti (22), the son of the then BJP councillor of Betma Nagar Panchayat Rajani Bharti. She was expelled from the party after Vikas was arrested in connection with the case.

According to the prosecution, 16 persons had gangraped two teenage cousins at Betma, about 35 km from here, on February 10 last year.
Prosecution lawyer Jyoti Tomar said the accused had also made an MMS clip of the crime to blackmail the victims and threatened to murder their family members if they disclosed the matter to anyone.
However, the girls confided in their family members and a case was registered against the accused on February 18 last year, Tomar said.