Samatha gangrape case: Telangana court awards death penalty to rapists

ADILABAD: The Adilabad fast-track court awarded a death penalty verdict to the three accused in the Samata gang-rape and murder case on Thursday. The Telangana police had successfully proved its case against Sheik Babu, 30, as the prime accused, and Shabuddin, 40, and Maqdhoom, 35, as the accused numbers two and three respectively in the case.

District and sessions judge M.G. Priyadarshini pronounced death penalty as punishment to the three accused in the Samata’s rape and murder.
This is the first case in the history of old Adilabad district leading to a death penalty sentence in any case till date.

Ms Samata (name changed), 30, who belo-nged to the Budgajangalu community of scheduled castes (Dalit), used to sell balloons and utensils besides collecting discarded hair in tribal areas.

She was gang-raped and murdered near Yellapatar village in Lingapur mandal in the Kumarama-bheem Asifabad district on November 24 last year. She was a resident of the Gosampalle Yellapur village in Khanapur mandal of Nirmal district.

The state government announced the setting up of a fast-track court in the Adilabad district and session court to try the Samata case on December 11.
Subsequently, the Kumarambheem Asifabad district police filed a chargesheet in the case on December14.

The judgment, which was scheduled for January 27, was postponed to January 30 due to indisposition of the judge.

‘Mistake’ not small: Judge While giving her judgment, the judge said, “the mistake you have done was not a small one,” and added, “The crime you had committed against Samata has been proved.”

Husband thanks cops, judge for quick justice
Before giving her judgment, district and sessions judge M.G. Priyadarshini told the accused, “the mistake you have done was not a small one,” and added, “The crime you had committed against Samata has been proved.”

The judge gave an opportunity to the three accused to speak. Sheik Babu, the prime accused, said that the police had fixed him in the case though he was not involved in the crime. He pleaded that he had three children and a wife, besides old parents, who were all depending on him to run the family.

He broke down when the judge said their guilt was proved. The second and third accused, Shabuddin and Maqhdoom, also entered similar pleas.

The victim’s husband expressed happiness over the verdict and thanked the judge for “doing justice to the victim”. He said the judgment of death penalty to the three accused of the rape-murder through a fast-track trial would infuse public faith in judiciary and law.

The victim’s husband thanked the police department for getting quick justice for the victim’s family. He mentioned M. Malla Reddy, SP, Ku-marambheem Asifa-bad district. Inciden-tally, Thursday was the last working day for Mr Malla Reddy, who will retire from service on Friday.

Mr Ramana Reddy, public prosecutor, said, “justice has been done to the victim’s family. The victim’s husband has been given a job and promised land.

Defence lawyer A. Raheem, appointed through the District Legal Services Autho-rity (DLSA), said that he had done the job entrusted to him by the court and was not concerned whether the judgment was negative or positive.

Family members of the accused were not seen at the court but reports said the wife and relatives of the prime accused Sheik Babu were present but did not wish to be identified.

Sheik Babu’s mother, a resident of Yellapa-tar, expressed displeasure over the death penalty, saying that they “did not get justice.”

She alleged that her “son was being framed in the case, though he was not involved in the incident”.

She questioned if anyone had caught him in the act or if anybody had seen the accused while committing the crime. She said that they would approach the High Court, seeking repeal of the fast-track court’s judgment.