Five men convicted in the 2024 Bhayli gang rape case were sentenced to imprisonment for the remainder of their natural lives by the Vadodara Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) court on Monday. The court also ordered ₹ 10 lakh compensation for the victim.
Gang Rape Incident During Navratri Festivities
On the second night of Navratri 2024, a tragic incident occurred when a young girl was allegedly gang-raped by five men. The victim was returning home from a garba event with a friend at the time of the attack.
The defence sought minimum punishment, citing the fact that the convicts were married and had families and children. Desai opposed the plea, arguing that the same family circumstances existed when the convicts committed the offence. “The court has sentenced all five convicts to life imprisonment, which means they will remain in jail till their last breath.
The court has also ordered compensation of ₹ 10 lakh for the victim,” district government pleader Anil Desai, appearing for the prosecution, told HT. The court also imposed a collective fine of ₹ 1 lakh on the five convicts under various sections of law, Desai said. Desai also argued that since most convicts were in their early twenties, a 20-year sentence would allow them to be released from prison by the time they reached their forties. The Vadodara POCSO court convicted the five men on August 20 for the gang rape of the girl in Bhayli area on October 4, 2024.
He had said such a punishment would not be adequate considering the gravity of the offence.
Prosecution Seeks Harsh Sentencing in Rape Case
On August 25, prosecutors requested the death penalty or, alternatively, life imprisonment for five men convicted of raping a 16-year-old girl during the Navratri festival. This case has garnered significant attention due to the severity of the crime and the age of the victim.
