Seven youths have been sentenced to life imprisonment by a local court for raping a 15-year-old tribal girl in the district.
Three other minors accused in the case were being tried by the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) of Raigarh.
District and Sessions Judge Anil Kumar Shukla convicted Nand Kishore Tirki (28), Shravan Kerketta (22), Pradeep Lakra (18), Vijay Khakha (22), Sunil Lakra (19), Jitendra Lakra (18) and Naveen Kerketta (22) yesterday in the gangrape case at Nandanjhariya forests of Raigarh last year, public prosecutor Panchanan Gupta said.
"The court also slapped a fine of Rs 20,000 on each and said a failure to pay it would attract an additional two-year jail term for each of the accused," Gupta said.
According to police, the offence took place on December 1, 2012, when the victim was going to Baturakachhar village from Bakaruma along with her relative.
Ten youths, including three minors, forcibly picked her up from the road and threatened her relative to run away from there.
Later, they took the girl to nearby Nandanjhariya forest and brutally raped her overnight.
All the accused were arrested on December 3 last year.
"Three out of the ten accused are minor hence they are being tried by JJB Raigarh," Gupta said, adding they have been kept at a juvenile correctional home.
