R'sthan rape case: Life term for four, 5-year RI for fifth

Jaipur, Oct 6 A special court for SC/ST cases sentenced four accused in the Thanagaazi gang rape case to life imprisonment on Tuesday while the fifth accused, who made the rape video viral, was awarded 5 years rigorous imprisonment.

Judge Brijesh Kumar while announcing the verdict held all five accused guilty of the crime and said that this gang rape case was more like cheerharan of Draupadi.

The sentences were pronounced by a special court for hearing cases under the Scheduled Castes and Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

The Thanagaazi rape case in Rajasthan was reported on April 26, 2019 and grabbed nationwide attention as the men raped the woman in front of her husband, filmed the act and made the video viral.

A case was registered after the video went viral on May 2, six days after the crime. When the couple had earlier gone to lodge an FIR, they were reportedly sent back citing the busy schedule of the police due to the Lok Sabha polls.

The Rajasthan government drew flak from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati during the Lok Sabha election campaign over the delay in lodging an FIR in the case. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi visited Thanagaazi and met the family of the rape victim.

The four men sentenced to life are Indraj, Ashok, Chhotalal and Hansraj. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh on them.

The fifth convicted man is Mukesh, who made the video viral, and has been sentenced to 5 years RI.

The accused had also demanded Rs 10,000 from the victim for not putting the video of the gang rape on social media. Later, an FIR was registered on the day the video of the crime went viral on social media.

( With inputs from IANS )