Nine years after the horrific gang rape of a woman and her daughter on National Highway 91 (NH-91) in Uttar Pradesh, a special POCSO court in Bulandshahr has convicted five men for the crime. The sentencing is scheduled for tomorrow.
The incident occurred on a stretch of NH-91 when a family was traveling and was attacked by robbers. Male members of the family were tied up and assaulted while the women were subjected to the gang rape. The crime sparked outrage and forced the state government to enhance road security measures, including deploying 'snipers' in trees, to deter crime along that route.
Additional District and Sessions Judge-III, Omprakash Verma, delivered the verdict, concluding a lengthy legal battle. Twenty-five witnesses testified during the trial. Of the eleven individuals initially implicated, two died in police encounters, one died in custody due to illness, and three were acquitted due to insufficient evidence. The convicted individuals were unable to secure bail and have remained in jail since their arrest. The Supreme Court also rejected their bail applications.
An FIR was registered on July 30, under sections 394, 395, 397 (aggravated forms of robbery and dacoity), 376-D (gang rape), 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC, and 5/6 of the POCSO Act. The following day, police arrested Mohd Riyazuddin, Mohd Shahwez and Jabar Singh from Haryana.
The incident exposed the vulnerability of travelers on desolate stretches of highways in Uttar Pradesh, many lacking adequate lighting.
The kingpin of the gang, Saleem Bawaria, died during the court trial in December 2019.
