SANGHAR: The additional sessions judge of Khipro on Friday awarded death sentence to three accused and life imprisonment to one in a rape case.

The accused assaulted a student of class-IX. They made objectionable videos and pictures of the victim and uploaded them on some websites, including YouTube.

The rape case under Section 376 of the Pakistan Penal Code was registered in 2010 against seven accused, including three women, on the complaint of Dr Amin Bhayo, an uncle of the victim.

Initially four accused were arrested, but they were granted bail.

Judge Inayat Bhutto awarded death sentence to Danish Qaimkhani, Jahanzeb and Waseem Qaimkhani, while Suhail was handed down life imprisonment. Three women were exonerated.

The accused were present in the court when the verdict was announced.

Despite having reached a compromise with the victim’s relatives, the accused were convicted of their offence as the victim stood by her statement.

After the uploading of the video clips on the internet by the accused, a series of protest demonstrations were held by the relatives and citizens of Khipro town during which they demanded justice for the victim.

Dr Bhayo lodged the FIR about the gang rape and nominated three women and four men.

He stated that the victim was invited by girls for a get-together at their home where she was given sweets to eat. She fell unconscious after eating the sweets and after coming to her senses she realised that she had been raped.

He added that the accused Jahan­zaib and Danish could be identified from a video uploaded on YouTube.

The complaint was pleaded by Advocate Farhan Bozdar.

Published in Dawn, May 25th, 2019