Bangladeshi woman gang-raped in India repatriated

An Indian court has sentenced seven Bangladeshis to life in prison for raping the young woman in Bengaluru last year

India has handed over to Bangladesh a woman who was gang-raped in the southern Indian city of Bengaluru in May last year.

She, along with four other young women who had been trafficked to Bengaluru, were returned to Bangladesh through the Petrapole-Benapole border on Saturday evening.

Later, Inspector Mejbauddin of Hatirjheel police station in Dhaka took the rape survivor into custody.

The four others were taken to the Jessore branch of the NGO Justice and Care.

Benapole port police station OC Kamal Hossain Bhuiyan confirmed the matter to Bangla Tribune.

A special court in India on Friday sentenced seven Bangladeshis to life in prison for raping the woman in Bengaluru last year, reports UNB.

The court also handed down jail terms of five and 20 years, respectively, to two others after holding them guilty of the crime.

Two more men charged by the police in the gang-rape case were absolved of the serious charge and instead convicted of various offences under the Foreigners’ Act and sentenced to nine months in prison, according to UNB.

“One accused has, however, been acquitted as he turned approver in the case. Eleven of the 12 chargesheeted in the case as well as the rape survivor are illegal Bangladeshi immigrants,” a lawyer told local media.

The Indian authorities swung into action after a video of the heinous crime went viral on social media last year.

Subsequently, a massive manhunt by Benguluru police led to the arrest of the 12 men.

Interrogation of the arrestees also helped investigators unearth a cross-border human trafficking racket in the city.

The woman’s father also filed a case at Hatirjheel police station on May 27, 2021 in connection with the gang rape.

Source: Dhaka Tribune