In a significant ruling, the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court has upheld the conviction of four men involved in a 2015 gangrape case, stating that a shared common intent among the accused is sufficient grounds for their conviction, even if not all participated directly in the sexual assault.
The case dates back to June 2015 in Chandrapur, Vidarbha region, where a woman and her male friend were assaulted. The assailants, initially posing as forest guards, attacked the couple while they were in a secluded forest area. The court found that while two of the men committed the sexual assault, the other two were involved in overpowering the male companion, thereby facilitating the crime.
Justice G A Sanap, presiding over the case, dismissed the appeals of the convicts who argued they did not share a common intent or directly engage in the sexual assault. The judge emphasized that overpowering the victim’s friend was crucial in enabling the rape and thus held all four accountable under the offence of gangrape.
The court’s ruling highlighted that the mere act of participating in the circumstances that led to the sexual assault implies a shared intent and responsibility. As such, all four were sentenced to 20 years in prison, affirming the judgment of the sessions court.
