VELLORE: The fast track Mahila Court on Wednesday sentenced two men to life imprisonment and another convict to five years jail term in connection with the 2020 Vellore Fort gang rape case.
Judge C Kalaiponni delivered the verdict, sentencing G Manikandan (alias) Ada Mani (43) and M Sakthivel (alias) Kozhi (21) to life imprisonment. They were also slapped with a fine of `25,000 each. Another convict K Marimuthu (33) (alias) Koyyamari was sentenced to five years with a fine of `5,000.
Police said the three convicts and a juvenile were involved in the crime. On January 18, 2020, a 24-year-old woman was gang-raped at knifepoint at a public park in front of the Vellore Fort at around 9 00pm.
The survivor was accompanied by her male friend, who was beaten up by the gang. The members stole mobile phones, jewellery, and money from them. At the time of the incident, both the survivor and her friend were working in a textile showroom in the city.
Based on her complaint, the Vellore North police registered a case. A team led by Investigation Officer K Punitha launched a probe into the matter and on January 20, two days after the incident, the team arrested the three men and a juvenile. The police filed a chargesheet on February 5, 2020.
Manikandan and Sakthivel were convicted under IPC sections 368 (wrongfully concealing or keeping in confinement, kidnapped or abducted person), 392 (robbery), 376D (gangrape), and 109 (abetment). Marimuthu was convicted under IPC section 368.
Later in the day, SP S Rajesh Kannan called on the police team and public prosecutor of the case and felicitated them at the district police office. Fast Track Mahila court's Special Public Prosecutor K Vigneshwari Amarnath, investigation officer P Punitha, Special Sub-Inspector (SSI) Karunakaran, Head Constable Thanigaivel, and woman Head constable Lakshmi received certificates.