KOKRAJHAR: Three persons were awarded death sentence on Friday by a fast-track court in Assam for the rape and murder of two tribal girls last year.
The trio was convicted in the case on April 6.
Special Judge C Chaturvedi of Korajhar fast-track court sentenced them to death.
The accused were arrested on June 14 last year, days after the girls, both sisters, were found hanging from a tree in Kokrajhar.
The incident had led to a huge outcry, with Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma ordering a probe by a Special Investigation Team (SIT).
Chaturvedi, in his judgment, said that he had come to the conclusion that this case falls ''under the rarest of rare cases so far as offences under Section 120 (B) IPC (whoever is a party to a criminal conspiracy to commit an offence is punishable with death), 302 IPC (whereby whoever commits murder shall be punished with death and shall also be liable to fine) and Section 6 (punishment for aggravated penetrative sexual assault) are concerned''.
''In the rarest of rare cases, they be hanged by neck till their death,'' the court said.
The judge further ruled that the accused would have to pay a fine of Rs 5 lakh each.
He observed that the ''default sentence for non-payment of fine is not being passed since the convict has been sentenced to death".
The fine amount, if not paid, will be recoverable under Section 421 CrPC (warrant for levy of fine) and the money would be given to the victim's family.
The judge also directed that the proceedings of the court be submitted to Gauhati High Court as mandated by the law.