NELLORE: A court in Nellore on Thursday sentenced two men to seven years imprisonment for attempting to sexually assault a Lithuanian woman on March 8 this year at Sydapuram in the district.
Besides imprisonment, the 8th Additional First-Class Judicial Magistrate S Suma slapped a penalty of Rs 15,000 each on I Sai Kumar and Mohammed Abid.
Police had arrested the duo within four hours of receiving the complaint. Sydapuram police registered a case and later the same was transferred to a Disha police station for speedy investigation and trial.
On March 7, the Lithuanian woman arrived in Chennai from Sri Lanka on a one-month visa. While she was travelling from Chennai to Bengaluru, Sai Kumar befriended her and purchased a ticket for her as she was not carrying Indian currency.
After reaching Bengaluru, when she gave Sai Kumar some money to purchase some items, Sai Kumar asked her to come to his native village for returning the money. With a plan to sexually assault the woman, Sai Kumar and his friend, Mohammed Abeed, took her to Sydapuram forest where they tried to force themselves on her. She, however, managed to escape and with the help of passersby reached the police station and lodged a complaint.
Keeping in view that the woman would return to her country, the police completed the investigation and filed the chargesheet within seven working days. After the accused were arrested, the woman’s statement was recorded in the court before the Magistrate. During the investigation, the police recorded the statements of the driver and passengers of the private travel bus in which the woman and the accused had travelled.
The investigators spotted the woman along with the accused duo at a petrol bunk and also near Sydapuram police station in the CCTV footage. In April, her statement was recorded for the second time in the court as she visited Nellore again. After verifying technical evidence and statements, the court sentenced the two accused. Sai Kumar is a resident of Manubolu mandal while Mohammed Abid is from Sarada Nagar in Gudur mandal of Nellore district.
A case has been registered under IPC Sections 354-A (Any man who assaults or uses criminal force to any woman or abets such act with the intention of disrobing or compelling her to be naked), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) and other relevant sections.