Five sentenced to life in 2016 Bulandshahr gang rape case

The court of special Pocso judge Om Prakash Verma delivered the verdict against the convicts, identified as Jubair (35), Mohd Sajid (37), Dharmveer (36), Naresh (46), and Sunil (35), in a crime that sparked nationwide outrage. Along with the prison sentence, the court imposed a fine of ₹1.81 lakh each on the convicts, with half the amount earmarked as compensation for the survivors.

In his order, the judge observed that rape is not merely an assault on the privacy and personal liberty of the victim, but it causes severe mental and physical harm. “Rape is not just an assault; it destroys the entire personality of the victim,” the court said in its judgment, underlining the long-lasting trauma inflicted by such crimes.

The court highlighted that the 14-year-old was an unmarried minor girl who was pursuing her studies and had a bright future ahead of her. However, due to the heinous incident, both the victim and her family have been stigmatised in society.