A Special Court in Pathankot of Punjab on earlier on Monday convicted six out of the seven in the rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kathua last year.

Three out of the six convicted in the rape of an eight-year-old girl in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kathua, have been sentenced to life imprisonment, while three others will have to serve five years in jail for destroying evidence to shield the rapists. The seventh accused, Vishal is the son of prime convict Sanji Ram. He was acquitted after the judge accepted Vishal's plea of alibi that he was writing an exam in Uttar Pradesh’s Meerut when the incident happened.

Sanji Ram the caretaker of the temple, special police officers Deepak Khajuria and Parvesh Kumar have been sentenced to life imprisonment by a special Pathankot court.

Police officers Anand Dutta, Surender Verma and Tilak Raj will serve five years in prison under section 201 of the Ranbir Penal Code (as Jammu and Kashmir’s penal code is known) for the destruction of evidence. Pathankot District and Sessions Judge Tejwinder Singh announced the verdict in the open court.

Convicts Sanji Ram, Parvesh Kumar and Deepak Khajuria were booked under Sections 363 (kidnapping), 302 (murder), 376D (gangrape) and 120(B) criminal conspiracy of the Ranbir Penal Code. Three others, including cops Surender Verma, Anand Dutta and Tilak Raj, who were booked under RPC Section 201 (causing disappearance of evidence of offence, or giving false information to screen offender) have been sentenced to five years in prison each.

The three main accused – Sanji Ram, Deepak Khajuria and Parvesh Kumar – have been sentenced to life imprisonment and fined Rs 1 lakh each for murder. They have also been sentenced to 25 years for charges of gangrape.

A Special Court in Pathankot of Punjab on earlier on Monday convicted six out of the seven in the rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kathua last year.

Three out of the six convicted in the rape of an eight-year-old girl in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kathua, have been sentenced to life imprisonment, while three others will have to serve five years in jail for destroying evidence to shield the rapists. The seventh accused, Vishal is the son of prime convict Sanji Ram. He was acquitted after the judge accepted Vishal's plea of alibi that he was writing an exam in Uttar Pradesh’s Meerut when the incident happened.

Sanji Ram the caretaker of the temple, special police officers Deepak Khajuria and Parvesh Kumar have been sentenced to life imprisonment by a special Pathankot court.

Police officers Anand Dutta, Surender Verma and Tilak Raj will serve five years in prison under section 201 of the Ranbir Penal Code (as Jammu and Kashmir’s penal code is known) for the destruction of evidence. Pathankot District and Sessions Judge Tejwinder Singh announced the verdict in the open court.

Convicts Sanji Ram, Parvesh Kumar and Deepak Khajuria were booked under Sections 363 (kidnapping), 302 (murder), 376D (gangrape) and 120(B) criminal conspiracy of the Ranbir Penal Code. Three others, including cops Surender Verma, Anand Dutta and Tilak Raj, who were booked under RPC Section 201 (causing disappearance of evidence of offence, or giving false information to screen offender) have been sentenced to five years in prison each.

The three main accused – Sanji Ram, Deepak Khajuria and Parvesh Kumar – have been sentenced to life imprisonment and fined Rs 1 lakh each for murder. They have also been sentenced to 25 years for charges of gangrape.