Nearly nine years after a shocking crime rocked Mizoram, a local court has convicted two Border Security Force (BSF) personnel in connection with a 2017 gang rape, acid attack, and murder case in Mamit district.
The Court of Additional District and Sessions Judge-I, presided over by Judge Sylvie Z. Ralte, found BSF personnel Nilanjan Das and Dinesh Kumar guilty on June 12. The incident occurred while the accused were posted at Silsuri West along the Mizoram-Bangladesh border.
According to court records, the crime took place on July 16, 2017, when a woman and her friend had gone to a stream near Gaskata to collect crabs and bamboo shoots. Investigators stated that the two women were allegedly intercepted by the accused BSF personnel.
The court heard that the accused overpowered and gang-raped the woman before pouring a corrosive substance on her face, causing severe burns and permanent damage to her eyesight. The survivor was later rescued by relatives and local residents and taken for medical treatment.
Medical examinations conducted at Phuldungsei Primary Health Centre confirmed sexual assault and multiple injuries. Due to the severity of her condition, she was later shifted to Civil Hospital in Aizawl.
Police registered a case at Marpara Police Station on July 18, 2017, under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code, including gang rape and acid attack.
The victim’s companion, who went missing during the incident, was found dead near the crime scene on July 27, 2017. Post-mortem and forensic examinations confirmed that she had been murdered.
Investigators recovered forensic evidence from the survivor’s clothing and the deceased woman’s remains. Laboratory tests also detected traces of a corrosive substance linked to the attack.
The quantum of sentence is expected to be pronounced by the court shortly.
