Gang rape: Two sentenced to life after 20 yrs

A Rangpur court on Thursday sentenced two accused to life term rigorous imprisonment in the case of kidnapping and gang rape of a teenage girl in Mithapukur upazila of the district 20 years ago.

At the same time, the court fined the convicts Tk 100,000 each, or in default, to undergo one more year in prison.

Judge of the women and children repression prevention tribunal of Rangpur Md Mostafa Kamal handed down the sentence in presence of the convicts.

The convicts are Rafiqul Islam and Shah Alam of village Muradpur in Mithapukur upazila of the district.

Prosecution said the victim girl of the same village of Muradpur went to her elder sister's house in the nearby area on 14 May 2002.

At around 8:00pm on the day, the victim went to bring water from a tube well outside her sister’s house when the accused forcibly abducted the girl and gang-raped her in a nearby paddy field.

The local people came forward on her screams when the accused fled from the spot.

The victim's father went to the Mithapukur police station to file a case on the next day, but failed to file the case.

Later, he filed a case in the court when the judge directed the officer-in-charge of Mithapukur police station to record the case and take necessary measures.

Accordingly, the police investigated the incident after the case and subsequently, submitted a charge sheet against the accused to the court on 30 June 2002.

After examining eight witnesses and other evidences of the case, the court sentenced the two accused to life imprisonment and fined them Tk 100,000 each.