Karnataka: Four sentenced to life imprisonment for acid attack on woman

Four men were Thursday convicted to life imprisonment in Karnataka for attacking a woman with acid in 2015. The second additional district and sessions judge in Chikkamagaluru also pronounced a penalty of Rs 5 lakh each on the convicts.

The incident was reported from Menase near Sringeri on April 18, 2015, when the four convicts — identified as Ganesh (36), Mohammed Kabir (30), Vinod Kumar (38), and Abdul Majid (38) — threw acid at Sumana who ran a beauty parlour in the area.

“The victim had lost an eye and had to undergo 18 surgeries after the attack. At present, Sumana works as a contract labourer in the Agriculture Department of Karnataka,” an advocate linked to the case said. The total amount of Rs 20 lakh collected from the convicts, the court noted, would be given as compensation to the victim.

According to the chargesheet filed by the investigating team, led by Sudheer M Hegde, prime accused Ganesh had threatened to spoil Sumana’s life as she turned down his proposal to marry her. Ganesh was also said to be the reason why Sumana got separated from her husband over some differences then.

While the court had convicted the four accused on Tuesday, the quantum of punishment was pronounced on Thursday. Hegde, the officer who led the investigation, is now the Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) posted at Madiwala in Bengaluru.