The second additional district and sessions judge in Chikkamagaluru, on Thursday, sentenced four people convicted of throwing acid on a woman, to life imprisonment besides a penalty of ₹5 lakh each.
The convicted are Ganesh, 36, Mohammed Kabir, 30, Vinod Kumar, 38, and Abdul Majid, 38. They hatched a conspiracy and threw acid at Sumana, who was running a beauty parlour at Menase near Sringeri, on April 18, 2015.
Ganesh, the prime accused, was forcing Sumana to marry him. As she refused, he had threatened that he would spoil her life. By then Sumana was separated from her husband, and Ganesh was said to be the reason for the differences between the couple. Sudheer M. Hegde, who was then Police Inspector of Sringeri, investigated the case and filed the charge sheet. The matter was heard for nearly six years. B.S. Mamatha, who represented the prosecution in court, told The Hindu: “The court has sentenced four people to life imprisonment besides imposing a penalty of ₹ 5 lakh each. The total amount of ₹20 lakh will be given to the victim as compensation”.
Following the acid attack, Sumana lost one eye and underwent 18 surgeries. Speaking to media after the judgment was pronounced, she said “No woman should go through what I have been. I wish this punishment stops such crimes in future.”
“I survived so far with the support of my aged parents, my sister, and my brother-in-law. I have been taking care of my son,” she said.
She currently works as a contract labourer in the Agriculture Department. “I appeal to the State government to offer me a permanent job so that I can look after my son,” she said.
Sumana was 29 years old when the incident happened. She recalled the efforts of Mr. Hegde, who is now ACP at Madivala in Bengaluru.
Manjunath Sangreshi, the 2nd additional district and sessions judge, in his judgment directed the member secretary of the District Legal Services Authority to provide maximum compensation for the victim as prescribed under the Victim Compensation Scheme.
