"I Have Got Justice": Two Ex-Cops Get 20 Years for 2015 Deoband Custodial Gang-Rape
A Saharanpur court sentenced two former police officers to 20 years in prison for the 2015 Deoband custodial gang-rape after an 11-year legal battle.
After an grueling 11-year legal odyssey marked by intimidation, police inaction, and systemic roadblocks, a survivor of the 2015 Deoband custodial gang-rape case has finally seen her tormentors held accountable. Fast-Track Court-II in Saharanpur has sentenced two former Uttar Pradesh police officers to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment each for their roles in the heinous crime.
The convicts, identified as former Station House Officer (SHO) Brajmohan Yadav and Sub-Inspector (SI) Vegpal Singh, were also ordered to pay a fine of ₹1.2 lakh each. Speaking after the verdict, the survivor expressed profound relief, stating, "I have got justice, and I am very happy today. I cannot express how happy I am." She credited the judiciary and her legal team for the victory, noting that without the courts, such justice would have been impossible.
The Horror of August 6, 2015
The case traces back to August 6, 2015, when the victim, a resident of Deoband and wife of a man named Narendra, visited the local police station to inquire about her husband's arrest. What should have been a routine inquiry turned into a nightmare.
According to her legal counsel, advocate Rajeev Tomar, the outpost in-charge, Pankaj Dhama, led the victim and her sister-in-law, Om Biri, into the SHO's room. Inside, they were confronted by SHO Brajmohan Yadav, SI Vegpal Singh, Pankaj Dhama, and a constable named Sikhala Singh. The four officers allegedly gang-raped the woman in the very place meant to ensure public safety.
A Decade of Resistance and Intimidation
The path to the courtroom was fraught with obstacles. The survivor's initial attempts to seek help were met with indifference, as local police officials and the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) initially refused to register her complaint. It took the intervention of the Allahabad High Court to force the registration of an FIR.
Even after the case began, the legal battle faced severe setbacks:
- The Closure Report: The Crime Branch-Criminal Investigation Department (CBCID) conducted an investigation but subsequently filed a closure report, clearing the accused officers of any wrongdoing.
- The Protest Petition: The victim refused to give up, filing a protest petition. The court eventually found merit in her claims and summoned the four accused.
- Evading Justice: While the trial proceeded for two, others managed to stall the process. Pankaj Dhama allegedly submitted a fake medical report claiming mental illness to halt his trial, and constable Sikhala Singh remained untraceable due to what her lawyer described as an improper CBCID investigation.
Threats and Harassment
The struggle for justice extended beyond the courtroom. Advocate Rajeev Tomar revealed that the victim and her husband, Narendra, lived under a cloud of fear for over a decade. The couple was subjected to repeated threats and physical attacks. In an attempt to break their spirit, several false cases were filed against them to harass and intimidate them into silence.
The Final Verdict
During the final hearings on the quantum of the sentence, the defense lawyers for the ex-policemen pleaded for leniency, citing the advanced age of the convicts. However, the court rejected these pleas, emphasizing the gravity of the crime committed by those entrusted to protect the citizens.
The sentencing of Brajmohan Yadav and Vegpal Singh marks the end of a long journey for the survivor, who spent nearly 11 and a half years fighting a system that initially protected the predators. "Today, those who were supposed to be protectors but allegedly acted as predators have been convicted," said advocate Tomar.