Thane court sentences two men to life imprisonment in 2017 gang-rape case
Thane: A court in Maharashtra's Thane district has sentenced two persons to life imprisonment for the rape of a 30-year-old woman in 2017.
Additional sessions judge Vasudha L Bhosale on Friday found the accused, Suresh Pandurang Gosavi (40) and Umesh alias Rakesh Zhala (39), guilty under relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code.
The court sentenced them to life imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 55,000 each.
The accused were also convicted on the charges of kidnapping the victim and robbery and handed them different terms of imprisonment.
The judge, in her order, stated that all the sentences would run concurrently.
The court also ordered that the accused pay Rs 40,000 each to the victim as compensation and referred the case to the DLSA for compensation to the victim as per law.
Additional public prosecutors Varsha Chandane and Rajendra P Patil told the court that on the evening of December 19, 2017, the victim, who was employed as a store manager, was returning home from work when she took Gosavi's cab, and the other accused man was already in the front seat.
The accused drove some distance and halted, claiming the car had a flat tyre that needed to be fixed. The duo proceeded to rob the woman, snatched her jewellery and mobile phone and raped her in the car, the prosecution said.
The men then took her to a lodge, where she raised an alarm, and they abandoned her and fled, they said.
The judge, in her order, noted that the prosecution had successfully proved all charges against the accused, who needed to be convicted and sentenced.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
