Imphal Jun 19 MNS Agencies: The must awaited sentence hearing of four persons who were pronounced guilty in the infamous U-morok (king chili) trader rape case was Wednesday postponed till June 25 next after counsel of one of the rapists failed to turn up in the court today.
For the first time in the history of judicial annals of Manipur, the District and Sessions Judge, Manipur West has concluded the hearing of rape case of U-morok trader in just about eight months by pronouncing all four accused in the case guilty on June 12 last.
The final hearing of the case which was held on June 12, all four accused, Laikhuram Rojit (28) of Porompat JN Hospital Road, Havildar of 1st IRB Chungkham Ibomcha alias Aigya (37) of Thongju Boroimakhong, Rifleman of 1st IRB Kshetrimayum Kenedy alias Dungi (37) of Kongpal Chanam Leikai and Salam Bijen (38) of Uripok were pronounced guilty by the judge under sections 328, 392 and 376 of the Indian Penal Code and sections 3(1) (11) (12) of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
However, the quantum of punishment was scheduled to announce today. As per schedule, the hearing was conducted today in the court of District and Sessions Judge, Manipur West, Imphal.
As the counsel of one of the accused Kshetrimayum Kenedy failed to turn up in the court on the ground that he (Advocate S Shyamachoron) met an accident and was hospitalized at Shija hospital, district and session judge Salam Ibomcha deferred the hearing till June 25.
However, he announced that even if the counsel could not appear in the court on this scheduled date, the quantum of sentences to be awarded to the four rapists would be pronounced.
It may be noted that in the last hearing in which the court pronounced the four persons as accused in the sensitive rape case of a 42-year old tribal U-morok trader hailing from Khoupum of Tamenglong district on the intervening night of March 21 and 22 2012, the court pointed out Laikhuram Rojit as the main accused of the case.
Public Prosecutor Ngangom Tajkumar and Achamlui Golmei, counsel of the victim woman prayed the court for life time imprisonment sentence for the four accused, asserting that it could check increasing violence against women in the state.
They further prayed the court to give a directive to the pertinent authority of the state government to provide adequate compensation to the victim woman, saying that she belongs to a poor family and she could not return to normal work to run her family after the ill-fated incident.
The woman was gang-raped by the four accused at an isolated place near Irom Meijrao in Imphal West on the intervening night of March 21 and 22 last year.
Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/court-defers-sentence-on-rape-case/
