Churu (Rajasthan), August 18: A local court in Churu district of Rajasthan on Tuesday convicted and sentenced two men to life imprisonment in a 2016 gang rape case of a 26-year-old woman.

 

A sentence was announced by the Special Judge of SC/ST Court Madhu Hisaria in Rajasthan’s Churu on Tuesday. The two convicted in the case are Ram Singh and Jaideep. 

 

The Public Prosecutor Ajit Singh Rathod said that a gang rape case was registered at the Bhanipura police station in Charu district around five years ago. Both the convicted are residents of Derajsar village. “The two accused had not just gang-raped the victim, but also cut the victim’s breast,” said Rathod.

 

Rathod said that the victim, in her complaint, had mentioned that the two convicts forcefully entered her house and gang-raped her at knifepoint. “The two men were in an inebriated state and when the woman tried to resist, they stabbed her breast with a knife” added Rathod.

 

He further said that the Special Judge of S/ST Court Madhu Hisaria sentenced the duo to rigorous life imprisonment and a fine of Rs 1,00,000.

 

“The Bhanipura Police after thoroughly investigating the case had presented a chalan in the Special ST/SC Court against the convicted. A total of 14 witnesses were presented in the case,” added Rathod.

 

According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data, Rajasthan has registered the highest number of rape cases followed by Uttar Pradesh in 2019. A total of 5,997 rape cases were lodged in the state followed by UP with 3,065.

 

Rape cases in the state have seen a consistent rise in the last few years. In the year 2017, around 3,305 cases were lodged which shot up to 4,335 and 5,997 in the years 2018 and 2019 respectively, a media report said.