BARIPADA:A local court on Wednesday sentenced a bus driver and conductor to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment (RI) for gangraping a minor girl at Raruan in Mayurbhanj district, 16 months back.
District and Sessions Judge-cum-Special Judge Ajay Kumar Mohanty also imposed a fine of `50,000 on each of them.
While driver Dinabandhu Lohar (28) belongs to Tendra village, the conductor Sarathi Behera (32) is a resident of Chutiapati village under Patana police limits in Keonjhar district.
The two will have to undergo one more year of RI on defaulting payment of fine.
The judge, however, acquitted two other accused due to lack of evidence. They are bus helper Laxmidhar Muna and owner of a local salon Satyajit Barik.
According to the prosecution, the four had gangraped a minor girl passenger of Dhenkikote in Keonjhar district on September 5, 2013. The girl had taken the bus from Dhenkikote and was on her way to Chadheibhola in Mayurbhanj district to her sister’s house.
“Instead of informing her after the bus reached her destination, Chadheibhola, the duo took her to Raruan. They sexually assaulted the girl inside the bus after all passengers got down and later abandoned her in a jungle near Raruan. She managed to reach her house and inform her family,” said a public prosecutor.
Following a written complaint by the victim’s father, a case was registered and four persons were arrested. Karanjia SDPO JK Behera had investigated the case and submitted a chargesheet.