29, Jan 2016

Written by Arshad Ali | Kolkata | Updated: January 29, 2016 12:07 am
Kamduni College girl gang rape accused are taken to custody after the verdict at City Session Court, Calcutta on Thursday. Express photo by Subham Dutta
Two years, seven months and 20 days after the gangrape and murder of a 20-year-old student, a Kolkata court Thursday found six of the eight accused guilty of gangraping and murdering the woman at Kamduni village in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district. Two accused were let off due to lack of evidence. The quantum of punishment is likely to be announced Friday.
The verdict in the case, in which nine men, including one who died during the trial, were chargesheeted, was pronounced by Additional District and Sessions Judge Sanchita Sarkar at 2 pm.
Three convicts — Saiful Ali, Ansar Ali and Amin Ali — could face death penalty as they were charged under sections 302 (murder), 376A (rape), 376D (gangrape), 120B (criminal conspiracy to commit an offence punishable with death) and 201 (causing disappearance of evidence) under the IPC.
However, charged under sections 376D, 120B and 201 of the IPC, Emanul Islam, Bhola Naskar and Aminur Islam face a minimum imprisonment for 20 years and a maximum punishment of life imprisonment. Rafiqul Islam Gazi and Noor Ali were acquitted for want of evidence, while Gopal Naskar had died in jail.