Jhansi: The district and sessions court sentenced two persons, including a woman, to life imprisonment on Tuesday in a 2016 case of rape and murder of a woman in Mauranipur. The court also imposed a fine of Rs ten thousand on the main accused and Rs seven thousand on the woman.
Additional district govt counsel Tej Singh Gaur characterised the incident as love that compelled the main accused, Rafiq, 30, to attempt rape of the victim and subsequently strangle her to death after she resisted. Rafiq frequently visited the house of Kuresha, 50, in Mauranipur, where the victim, who was Kuresha's relative, resided in the neighbourhood.
Rafiq and the victim knew each other for a long time. When Kuresha informed Rafiq that the victim was betrothed elsewhere, he confronted her on October 25, 2016, and attempted to rape her which she resisted. Consequently, Rafiq strangled her to death.
The victim's father lodged a case against the accused under section 302, 376, 511 IPC against Rafiq. During the investigation and court proceedings, Kuresha was found involved in disposing of the victim's body, and she was subsequently named as a co-accused in the case.
The court on Tuesday found both the accused guilty and sentenced them to life imprisonment and also imposed a fine of Rs ten thousand and Rs seven thousand respectively on both the accused.