Mangalore rapists handed life imprisonment

Mangalore, 22 Sep 2013: A court here on Saturday awarded life imprisonment to two men held guilty of raping a minor girl inside an empty train coach at the Mangalore Central railway station in 2010.

 

Judge BK Naik said K Ashok (23), an employee of a railway contractor, and A Nishit (20), a railway employee, will also have to pay Rs 25,000 each as penalty.

 

 

"A proper message should be sent to society that such heinous crimes will not be tolerated, and no such acts will be excused," the judge noted while announcing the quantum of punishment.

 

Questioning the safety measures at the station, the court held the Railway Board liable to pay compensation to the girl.

 

"The gang rape happened inside the railway station premises. It shows lack of proper attention on part of railway officials and railway police. The Railway Board has a liability to pay real compensation for the harm caused to the victim. However, the matter is left to the Railway Board," the judge said.

 

The girl, from Odisha, had run away from a house in Kadri, where she was working as a domestic help. The police arrested and booked cases against four men. While the main accused Shamish, a porter-cum-sweeper, is still at large, fourth accused Abdul Sathar Ayyub was acquitted.

 

Public prosecutor Manjunath V Bhat argued the case on behalf of the government. The court had convicted the two accused on September 17.