Ghaziabad: 2 get life-imprisonment for gangraping minor girl in 2023

Ghaziabad: A Ghaziabad court on Saturday awarded life imprisonment to two men, aged 33 and 60, for luring a 10-year-old girl and later gang raping her in their car during an incident in Loni on December 12, 2023.

The prosecution said that the girl proved her case in court and was instrumental in giving clues to police, which led to their arrest.

The incident happened around 6pm when the girl had gone to Rashid Ali Gate area to witness a wedding procession with other children. There, two men arrived in an Eeco car and told her that they would drop her home. Instead, they took her to jungles near Nithora Road, about 3kms away, and gang raped her in car.

The two convicts, identified as Mohammad Nizam alias Nazim, 33, and Mohammad Zakir, 60, were arrested by the Loni police on December 14, 2023, following a first information report under Indian Penal Code sections 376db (gangrape on woman under twelve years of age) and 506 (criminal intimidation), along with provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

The girl stated in her testimony that the two called each other by names during the incident. While dropping her to the same location, Zakir got down midway to his house and the girl saw the location, she told the court.

“The girl narrated the incident in her statements to the police and also in her statements before a magistrate. She also maintained the incident before the court, and also identified the two men. Since the girl had seen one of the men getting down midway, she identified the location. Further, she noticed that some fingers of the same suspect were cut and deformed. These clues had helped police nab the suspect and also the other man. The gruesome case of crime against the girl was directly monitored by office of UP chief minister,” said Harish Kumar, special public prosecutor (POCSO).

The court headed by special judge (POCSO Act) Bharat Singh Yadav concluded, “On the basis of investigation and analysis, the court reached a conclusion that Nizam and Zakir gang raped the 10-year-old girl. The prosecution, on the basis of evidences on record, was able to prove charges under IPC section 376db and section 5G/6 beyond a reasonable doubt… there is no point to show leniency towards such persons who upon seeing a girl show intent and gang rape her.”

The defence had sought leniency during the final argument while telling the court that Nizam had a wife, children and an old aged mother while Zakir was having responsibility of his eight children.

“Each of the convicts Nizam and Zakir are sentenced to life imprisonment for charges under IPC 376db and also penalty of ₹50,000 each. Non-payment of penalty will attract one year each of rigorous imprisonment,” the court said in its final order on April 19.