Gurdaspur acid attack: Two men get 18 and 15 yrs in prison

THE ACCUSED HAD IN 2016 THROWN ACID ON A GROUP OF SCHOOLGIRLS AS THEY HAD OBJECTED TO THEIR STALKING

GURDASPUR: Two years after they threw acid on a group of schoolgirls who had objected to their stalking, Sajan Masih and Lovepreet Singh of Dharmabad village in Gurdaspur were sentenced to 15 and 18 years in jail, respectively, by the court of additional district and sessions judge Gurjant Singh on Wednesday.

Santokh Singh, who was accused of supplying the acid to them, was acquitted even as the court imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh each on the two convicts, who are in their early twenties and had attacked their schoolmates reportedly after being rusticated upon their complaint to the principal.

They threw the acid on six girls, all of whom were from their village, when they were returning home after a Class-8 exam from the government school at Singhpur village in Dera Baba Nanak subdivision on March 16, 2016.

While one girl suffered up to 28% burns on her face, the others escaped with minor injuries. They were present in the court when the judge pronounced the sentence; but remained quiet.

The men were arrested under sections 326A (throwing acid), 354D (stalking) and 34 (acts by several persons with common intention) of the Indian Penal Code. Masih, who got 15 years’ sentence under sections 326 and 34, and three years under 354D, remained in jail during the course of the trial, though Lovepreet and Santokh had got bail. On Wednesday,the court sent the two convicts to the Gurdaspur central jail.

Prosecuting counsels Vinod Basa and Varinder Basa — brothers who said they fought the case on a “nominal” fee as social responsibility — said they would move the high court against Santokh’s acquittal.