Pronouncing the verdict in the packed court room, District and Sessions Judge J K Sen held the three accused—Ajay, Uday and Pappu—guilty, and asked them to undergo life imprisonment for the heinous crime they had committed. They were also fined Rs 10,000 each.
Apart from gang-rape, theft charges were also slapped on the accused, who had relieved the Japanese tourist of her valuables and travel documents, including passport. While the police claimed to have recovered the money, her passport has not been found yet.
The Japanese tourist was gang raped by five people, including an auto-rickshaw driver, on April 16 near Amvan village in Gaya district. The incident which brought disrepute to the state soon caught the attention of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who asked Bihar Director-General of Police Neelmani to ensure that the accused were apprehended at the earliest and punished within a stipulated time-frame.
Lotan and Rajan, the two main accused, are still absconding. The other three arrested were put on trial for gang-rape under Section 376(G), punishable with life imprisonment.
The trial began on April 22, within a week of the incident, and the hearing in the case concluded on May 15. This is arguably the fastest-ever trial conducted by any local court in Bihar.
