Agartala, Mar 07, 2023, IANS

Agartala, March 7 (IANS): A district court in Tripura has sentenced five persons life imprisonment for the gang rape of a housewife in November 2021, a police spokesman said on Tuesday.

The District and Sessions Court of Gomati awarded the five youths rigorous life term imprisonment and also slapped a fine of Rs 60,000 on each of them on Monday.

The police spokesman quoting the court order said that all the five accused were convicted under section 376 (D) of the Indian Penal Code for gang rape and Section 3 of the SC & ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

The convicts identified as Tajul Islam, Saddam Hossain, Rabban Ali, Dudhu Miah and Samiman Hossain hail from Sonamura and Melagarh of Sepahijala district.

A Public Prosecutor said that the victim, riding a motorbike with her husband at night on November 20, 2021 was kidnapped from the highway by the accused in Radha Kishore Pur area.

The culprits after assaulting the victim's husband took her to an isolated area and gang raped for the whole night.

"In the next morning, the woman was rescued by the police and shifted to the hospital with serious injuries. Three days after the incident her statement was recorded and probe was started. Later the case was transferred to the Crime Branch of police for investigation."

The Crime Branch submitted its charge sheet followed by the inquiry and during the trial, as many as 42 witnesses had deposited before the court based on which the judge pronounced the verdict on Monday, the police spokesman said.