The conviction will go down as one of the fastest rape trials in the history of the district courts.

The five have been convicted under Sections 376 (2) (g) (gangrape), 365 (abduction with intention to confine), 366 (abduction) and 473 (possessing counterfeit seal) of the Indian Penal Code.

The conviction came within eight days after the victim flew down from Germany to depose before the court and within one month of the framing of charges by the court.

The 20-year-old victim had appeared in the court on January 16 and 17 and the case was heard on a daily basis since then. While the prosecution evidence was recorded in three days, the defence recorded its trial within two days. The final arguments were heard on Tuesday, following which the orders were pronounced.

The five convicted are: Sukhwinder Singh alias Sukhi, Manvir Singh Jolly, Pankaj Punia, Sompal and Harpreet Singh alias Dalli, residents of Haryana. The five are in their twenties.

Public prosecutor Manu Kakkar, who was specially hired for the case, said the basic plea put forward by the prosecution was that the German, being a foreign national, had no reason to implicate any one falsely in the case. Strongly corroborating it with the medical evidence and the statement of the victim, the verdict went in our favour, he added.

“We are happy with the verdict that came so quickly. The entire trial was completed in eight days. Considering that an interpreter was also hired to help the victim depose last week, it is a rare case of a speedy rape trial,” Kakkar said.

The woman had come to the city with a Germany-based Indian friend to attend his wedding. On September 27, 2008, she was allegedly abducted from Hotel Taj and gangraped at a farmhouse in Samalakha. She was dropped in Sector 20 by one of the accused the next day.

Timeline
* September 27: German abducted from Hotel Taj and gangraped
* September 28: Police register a case on charges of molestation on the victim’s complaint
* September 29: One of the accused, Pankaj, arrested from Darali village
* September 30: Harpreet arrested
* October 1: Sukhi and Jolly surrender in court
* October 3: Sompal surrenders
* October 5: Victim identifies accused in an identification parade and allegedly slaps

Sompal* November 11: Police add rape charges on the basis of CFSL report
* November 21: A chargesheet filed.
* December 22: Court frames charges
* January 16: Victim deposes in court
* January 27: All five convicted

The punishment
Punishment under Section 376 (2 (g)) — as per law — a person convicted under this section shall be punished with rigorous imprisonment for a term which not less than 10 years but which may also be for life and shall be liable for fine.

The tussle
As the accused and their families evaded the media, Sompal snatched the camera of one of the photographers resulting in a minor scuffle.

Friendsay:
“We are elated with the order. I am trying to get in touch with her in Germany”

— Victim’s friend Hardeep, with whom she had gone