Telangana: Fast-track court sentences 3 to death for gang rape, murder

A fast track court in Adilabad has on Thursday pronounced death sentence for three men accused of the brutal gang rape and murder of a Dalit woman; delivering the verdict in just over two months from the date of the gruesome crime.

The offence took place near Yellapatar village in Kumuram Bheem Asifabad district in northern Telangana. The deceased woman – given the name Samata by the police to conceal identity – used to earn her livelihood by selling balloons and other items in the tribal hamlets, along with her husband.

On November 24, the three accused men accosted her when she was walking alone from one village to another, on a deserted stretch. Her body was found the next day, in the wild, with her throat slit and grazes on other parts of the body.

The three culprits – - Shaik Babu, Shaik Shabuddin and Shaik Maqdoom of Yellapatar village – between 30- and 40-years age – are daily wage labourers.
The grisly crime caught the media and public attention days later, after the gang rape and murder of a young Hyderabadi veterinarian on November 27 near a toll plaza on the outskirts of the Telangana capital.

Protest rallies took place in the Adilabad-Asifabad region of north Telangana where Samata incident took place, demanding swift justice. The Asifabad district police chief Malla Reddy announced the setting up of a fast track court on December 11. A charge sheet was filed on December 13.

“Samata was dragged into the bushes, gang-raped, and her throat slit. The three accused were arrested on 27 November. Forty-four witnesses were questioned; scientific proofs like DNA were established. The accused could not establish their innocence even after providing two opportunities,” a police official said, after the verdict.

Setting aside the compassion pleas of the accused, the special court has sentenced the three to death according to Section 302 of IPC, life imprisonment as per Section 376-D IPC, three years jail under SC/ST atrocities act and also levied a fine of Rs 26,000 for theft of the victim’s mobile phone etc
The accused can go for an appeal in a higher court within 30 days.