6 convicted of gang rape, murder in India
An Indian court convicted six men Thursday of gang-raping
and murdering a student as she walked home after an exam in 2013, in a case
that sparked outrage over women's safety.
Security was tight outside the court in the eastern city of
Kolkata for the verdict, with chanting protesters demanding justice and
scuffling with police, reports AFP.
Senior public prosecutor Dipak Ghosh said that six accused
were convicted of gang-raping the 21-year-old woman, as well as murder,
interfering with evidence and other charges.
Judge Sanchita Sarkar told the packed court that two others
"are acquitted due to lack of evidence".
"The... punishment will be announced after hearing the
convicts on Friday," she said.
The six face punishments ranging from 20 years in jail to
the death penalty.
The gang attacked the university student as she returned
home to her village, 50 kilometres (30 miles) northeast of Kolkata, in June
2013.
The victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was
grabbed after getting off the bus before being dragged to a nearby abandoned
farm.
She was found gagged and laying in a pool of blood in a
field the next morning. Evidence showed she had been repeatedly raped.
The attack triggered anger in West Bengal state and came
just months after the fatal gang rape of a student in Delhi in December 2012
that shone a global spotlight on violence against women in India.
The 2012 incident led to an overhaul of India's rape laws
including speeding up of trials and tougher penalties for offenders, but high
numbers of assaults persist.
About 200 protesters gathered outside the court for
Thursday's verdict demanding justice.
One policeman was injured in scuffles as protesters tried to
enter the court complex, police said.
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