Criminal from B’desh held guilty of raping nun in 2015

Two years and eight months after the rape of a 71-yearold Christian missionary in Ranaghat, the city sessions court held Nazrul Islam alias Noju, a Bangladeshi citizen, guilty of rape. Six, including Noju, were held guilty of committing dacoity. The quantum of punishment will be announced on Wednesday.

Those guilty of dacoity and criminal conspiracy were Milan Kumar Sarkar, Ohidul Islam, Mohammad Selim Sheikh, Khaledur Rahman. The investigators later found that the criminals who raided the church were from Bangladesh. One of the accused is still absconding.

“This incident is particularly shameful for the people of West Bengal, a state where persons such as sister Nivedita and Mother Teresa have worked. The missionary who was raped was an aged woman working for the welfare of people,” said the judge.

But none of the guilty displayed any sign of repentance when the verdict was pronounced. “We will plead for the maximum punishment possible punishment, which is life term, under the sections,“said Anindya Raut, public prosecutor.

“We have succeeded in arguing against the charge of gang rape,” said Fazle Ahmed Khan, lawyer for the accused.

The incident took place at Convent of Jesus and Mary in Ranaghat on March 14, 2015. Nuns of the church were also present in the courtroom on Tuesday when the verdict was pronounced.

According to the complaint lodged by the church authorities, a gang of seven to eight persons ransacked the church between 2am to 5 am on March 14.

The criminals took away cash, camera, computers. IPC sections 373 (rape), 395 (dacoity) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) were brought against the accused. A total of 42 witnesses were examined during the trial.

KOLKATA: