Kochi: A special court in Ernakulam on Saturday found four persons guilty of subjecting a Tamil woman to gang-rape after taking her to a secluded area on the HMT Kalamassery campus on the pretext of offering the grass-cutting job. Justice T Nizar Ahmed of the court dealing with cases of violence and sexual harassment against children and women found Athul P. Divakaran (22) of Thevakkal, Niyaz (28) of Vadacode, Manoj (21) of Manalimukku and Anish (28) of Edathala guilty of 'criminal conspiracy, abduction and wrongful confinement causing hurt and rape.'
The court also found 32-year old K. V. Bineesh of Pattimattom and his 35-year old wife Jasmine guilty of harbouring the offenders and assisting the accused in concealment of stolen property. The court will pronounce the sentence on Monday. The said incident happened in February last year when the 37-year-old woman from Tamil Nadu was gang-raped and robbed her of her valuables including five sovereigns of gold ornaments and a mobile phone at an isolated corner of the HMT campus.
The prosecution says Athul conspired with his friends to rape the woman and he, along with Aneesh, picked up her and another 55-year-old woman on the pretext of a grass-cutting job on the HMT campus. The two other accused got into the vehicle on the way, and as they reached an isolated location, Athul tied the 55-year-old woman to a tree. The four of them then gang-raped the younger victim and took nude pictures of her. The accused then threatened her that they would publish them if she revealed the incident to anyone.
