4 ‘Axle gang’ members get death penalty in 2016 Nuh double murder, gangrape

A special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court in Panchkula on Saturday awarded death sentence to four members of ‘Axle gang’ in the double murder and gangrape cases that took place in the Nuh district of Mewat region in Haryana in 2016.

CBI special judge Rajeev Goyal pronounced the quantum of sentence against convicts Hemant Chauhan, Munna alias Ayan Chauhan, Lambu alias Vinay and Jai Bhagwan alias Setu. On April 10, they were convicted of murder of a farmer and his wife as well as the gang-rape of his two nieces on the intervening night of August 24 and 25 in August 2016.

The court also imposed a fine of ₹2 lakh each on convicts that shall be paid to victims as compensation. Separately, a recommendation was sent to District Legal Services Authority for awarding appropriate compensation to gangrape victims.

The court had convicted all four persons for offences under IPC Sections 376-D (when a woman is raped by a group of people acting together), 302 ( murder), 307 (attempt to murder), 323, 325, 459, 460, 397 IPC and Section 6 of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act.

The order read, “They not only killed a Muslim couple by hitting them with sticks on their heads but also gang-raped a minor girl of 16 years and a married woman of 21 years in a most brutal, cruel and ruthless manner.”

“Rape is more heinous than murder as it destroys the very soul and entire psychology of a helpless woman and pushes her into deep emotional crises. It is a crime against basic human rights,” ruled the court and observed that “the gang rape of the victim(s) became all the more humiliating and traumatic as it was committed in the presence of their family members.”

On intervening night of August 24-25, 2016, a 40-year-old farmer and his wife were beaten to death while their two nieces-- aged 21 and 16, were raped by four armed men at Dingerheri village in Nuh. The accused had locked other family members in a room while committing the crime and then fled with cash, jewellery and a two-wheeler. Police registered a case next day and arrested four local youths. The state government had handed over the case to the CBI in December 2016 after vehement protests by families of accused, NGOs and political parties.

The court added, “...the convicts belong to an infamous gang of notorious criminals (Bawaria Gang/Axle Gang) who act under the modus operandi to commit highway robberies/dacoities during night, causing serious injuries and raping the women in front of their family members.”

Terming it as the “rarest of rare” case, the court ruled, “The convicts being habitual of committing very serious and grave offences, are a serious threat to the society. Their chances of reformation and rehabilitation are very bleak. The fact that they are young and belong to socially, economically and educationally deprived strata of society, will not lessen the degree of the crime committed by them... which calls for award of capital punishment to the convicts and any lesser sentence would do grave injustice not only to the victims and their family members but to the collective conscience of the society.”