The court has sentenced five culprits to life imprisonment in the case of gang rape of a mother and a six-year-old girl that came to light about four years ago in Roorkee, Uttarakhand. Fast Track Special Court, Additional Sessions Judge, Roorkee Ramesh Singh, after completion of the hearing in the case, convicted all five accused and sentenced them to life imprisonment. The court’s decision brought an end to the long-running legal process in this case. According to the available report, a total fine of Rs 15 lakh 20 thousand has also been imposed on the five culprits.
This matter is of the night of 24 June 2022. According to the prosecution, a woman resident of Kaliyar area was heading towards Roorkee with her six-year-old daughter. Meanwhile, Mehak Singh alias Sonu, resident of Imlikheda Kaliar reached there along with his companions. Investigation of the case revealed that the woman and her daughter were made to sit in the vehicle. After this the girl was taken aside and raped. According to the prosecution, the woman and the girl were later taken to different places in a vehicle and they were gang-raped. After the incident, the accused fled away leaving both of them on the way.
After the incident, the girl’s condition was said to be critical and she was admitted to the government hospital in Roorkee for treatment. The case had also caused serious concern at the local level, as the victim was only six years old. The biggest challenge before the police was the identification and arrest of the accused. During the investigation, the police started scanning the footage of CCTV cameras installed in and around the incident spot. According to the report, the police had examined the footage of more than 200 CCTV cameras from Roorkee to Muzaffarnagar.
The identification of a bike-riding suspect became an important link for the police in the investigation. According to the report, he was seen wearing a red shirt. After this the police detained Mehak Singh alias Sonu and took identification action. During interrogation and further investigation, the police got information about the car which was alleged to be used in the crime. The investigation also revealed that the flag of farmers’ organization was installed on the car. After this, the police tried to reach the owner of the car on the basis of its number and other accused were arrested in the case.
The prosecution presented medical reports, forensic examination of the girl’s clothes and other scientific evidence before the court. According to the report, forensic material found from the girl’s clothes also became important evidence in the investigation of the case. After the incident, the police took action against the accused and also filed a charge sheet in the court. According to the available information, the police had presented the charge sheet in the court within about two months on 22 August 2022. After this, the process of hearing the case and examining the evidence continued in the court.
The court found all five accused guilty after hearing the arguments of both sides and considering the evidence presented before them. After this he was sentenced to life imprisonment. According to the report, Mehak Singh alias Sonu was sentenced to rigorous life imprisonment in the POCSO and rape cases, while the other four convicts were also sentenced to rigorous life imprisonment. The five culprits have been identified as Mehak Singh alias Sonu, resident of Imlikheda Kaliar, Rajeev alias Vicky, Sonu Tejian, Subodh Kumar and Jagdish.
In this case, the court has also given an order related to financial compensation. According to the available report, the special court has directed to give the prescribed share of the fine amount to the victim. It has been ordered that 50 percent of the fine of Mehak Singh alias Sonu and Rs 75-75 thousand of the fine of the other four convicts will be given to the victim. Apart from this, instructions have also been given to provide financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh for mental, social and physical damage.
During the investigation of the case, the police used technical and scientific evidence to reach the accused. CCTV footage was used to link the movements of the suspects, while vehicle identification and forensic reports helped further the investigation. Apart from Roorkee, the police had also expanded the scope of investigation to Muzaffarnagar and surrounding areas. After this entire action, all five accused were arrested and sent to jail.
On behalf of the prosecution, government advocates Inderpal Bedi and Vivek Kush argued the case in the court. According to the details provided by him, the court declared him guilty on the basis of witnesses and evidence. The decision, which came after a judicial process lasting four years, is being considered an important legal development for the aggrieved party.
The case started with the incident of June 24, 2022 and a case was registered against the accused the next day. After starting the investigation, the police arrested all the accused. After this the charge sheet was filed in the court and the hearing of the case went on. After four years, the court has now given its verdict and sentenced all five convicts to life imprisonment. Besides, orders related to financial penalty and assistance to the victim have also been given.
The most important thing in this decision of the court is that the case was not limited to the allegations only, but all the five accused were convicted on the basis of evidence presented in the judicial process. Especially in the case related to a minor girl, action was also taken under the POCSO Act. According to available reports, the court, after hearing the evidence and witnesses, sentenced him to life imprisonment upon conviction.
After this incident that happened four years ago, there was a long process from police investigation to hearing in the court. Now with the court’s decision, the culprits in the case have been punished. The order to provide financial assistance to the victim is also part of the decision. In this way, the final decision of the court in this case registered in 2022 came out in September 2026, in which five culprits were sentenced to life imprisonment and financial penalty.