Minor gang-raped: two convicted, hearing on quantum of sentence tomorrow

Mangalore, Sep 18: A district court has convicted two railway employees and acquitted one due to lack of evidence in connection to sexual assault case of minor, in a railway coach at Mangalore Central Railway station, on July 14, 2010. However, the main accused in the case is still at large.

The Fourth Additional District and Sessions Judge B.K. Naik convicted K. Ashok, an employee of a railway contractor, and Nishit A, a mechanical helper in Southern Railway, acquitting Abdul Sattar Ayub, a vendor at the railway station, for lack of evidence. Prime accused Shameesh, a porter and sweeper from Payyanur, Kerala has been absconding since the incident.

Background

The victim, a 15-year old girl from Odisha had escaped from a house in Kadri where she was employed and had come to the railway station.

The girl was found in a semi-conscious state in a coach by a woman sweeper who then shifted her to the women's waiting room at the railway station. Later, Child Helpline staff counselled the girl who narrated the incident to them. The Government Railway Police arrested three persons barring the prime accused.

The judgement came in wake of clear evidences of sexual assault on girl. The statement of the girl was backed by forensic evidences that established sexual assault.

The Judge noted that the girl was raped by Shameesh and K. Ashok and in the case of Nishit, the judge said that he was equally responsible for the acts of the other two accused as he was at the place of assault.

Maintaining that the girl was gang-raped, he convicted Ashok and Nishit and acquitted Abdul Sattar Ayub asking the Counsel to caution him.

The judge will hear arguments on the quantum of sentence on Thursday.