CBI Court Convicts 3 Including Ex-High Court Registrar For Rape And Attempt To Forceful Conversion Of National Level Shooter

The trio, including the shooter's alleged husband and mother-in-law from the "fraudulent marriage" were convicted on September 30 under Sections Sec.120B IPC r/w Sec. 376 (2)(n), 496, 298, 323 & 506 IPC, and sent to judicial custody to the Birsa Munda Central Jail in Ranchi.

The alleged husband Ranjeet Singh Kohli alias Raquibul Hassan has been sentenced to life imprisonment. His mother has been sentenced to 10 years in prison, and the former High Court registrar Md Mushtaque Ahmad is sentenced to undergo a 15-year jail term. Each of them is also fined Rs 50,000.

Spl. Judge, CBI, Ranchi Prabhat Kumar Sharma observed, “Heard, the convicts have been given effect to an offence of serious nature, as they are held guilty of playing fraud, causing atrocities...with a young girl by hatching conspiracy, who was shining at that time as a National Level Shooter. She was an impressive example of an empowered woman who was also a national asset. The acts of the convicts abruptly finished her career as a player and eventually a possibility of glory for this great nation on many international platforms.”

“The case record depicts that when the convicts lured / approached her with their buttery words, she was in a gloomy phase due to the sudden departure of her beloved mother to the heavenly abode. The convicts used the moment to make her emotional and persuaded her to replace the mother’s love and ultimately committed the offence for which now they have been found guilty and praying before the court for a lenient view,” he added. 

The prosecution case in brief was that the trio had approached the victim with a marriage proposal with Ranjeet. The former court registrar persuaded her for the marriage.

The woman entered into a marriage with Ranjeet on July 7, 2014, following Hindu customs. The very next day, a Kaazi conduct their Nikah, an Islamic marriage. The woman was coerced into this arrangement under the threat that if she refused, the man would no longer consider himself bound to her. Following this, she claimed to have endured various forms of torture, including physical assault and restrictions on communication.

The woman alleged that she was initially misled into believing that Ranjeet was a Hindu, but discovered he was a Muslim a few days after the wedding. Additionally, she alleged that he had sexually assaulted her, coercing her into physical relations and engaging in unnatural acts at gunpoint.

The woman was rescued on August 19, 2014, when Ranjeet was not present at home and the woman managed to inform her brother about the situation and a criminal case was lodged.

The probe was transferred to CBI and prosecution presented 26 (twenty-six) witnesses during trial, including key individuals such as the woman athlete herself, the Qazi, one Deepika Kumari (a former sub-inspector of Jharkhand Police who rescued the woman), the case's investigation officer Harishchandra Singh, and CBI investigator Seema Pahuja.

On June 27, 2018, a family court in Ranchi granted the woman divorce from the man on the grounds of cruelty, false information, and subsequent domestic and physical violence.

In its verdict however, the CBI Court said Ranjeet and his mother knew that the marriage performed as per Hindu rituals was not a valid marriage and hence he cannot be said to be the victim's husband. "Hence, having physical relations and committing unnatural sex by him with the victim indeed came under the definition of rape as per provision u/s 375 IPC," Court held.

Court held the facts clearly establish that there was an agreement between all three accused to commit an offence. "It was in there knowledge that they are persuading the victim for her marriage by playing fraud as they were hiding the identity of A-1 [Ranjeet] with her and her family members, hence accused persons are equally liable for each illegal act committed by them jointly or separately. "

Court said during her examination, the victim confirmed that she had been raped at gunpoint and subjected to severe torture and unnatural sexual acts by the accused, as stated in her statement under Section 164 of the Criminal Procedure Code. It held,

"...as per the normal practice there can be no charge of ‘Rape’ against a woman but if sufficient evidences are available on records, a woman can be charged of abatement or hatching conspiracy of the offence of rape committed by co-accused. In view of the above discussions, I found that all three accused are guilty of the conspiracy, and thereby they are held liable for committing offence u/s 120-B r/w Sec. 496, 376(2)(n), 323, 298 & 506 of the I.P.C," the Court added.

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