Days after convicting two young men for disfiguring the face of an eighth-semester law student in Srinagar on December 11, 2014, Jawad Ahmad, Principal Sessions Judge Srinagar announced the verdict in a jam-packed Court and sentenced the duo to life imprisonment.
ALSO READ: ‘Attacked for rejecting love’; Terrifying details emerge from Acid Attack that shook Kashmir
Confirming that justice prevailed after a long judicial battle of ten years, the acid attack survivor, Sehar Nazir said that the sentence will serve as a deterrence for anyone who even thinks of committing this heinous crime.
“I had no option but to be strong. Justice was delayed because of multiple reasons, but I am glad that it was served at the end. Only I know what I have endured in all these years,” Sehar said.
She said that crime of any kind and intensity should be reported. “ In my case evidence was destroyed but on seeking help from police the matter was investigated minutely and justice served.”
The court had reserved the verdict on the weekend after hearing arguments of Special Public Prosecutor AA Teeli who demanded maximum punishment of life imprisonment for the convicted while counsel representing the duo sought lesser punishment of ten years, considering mitigating circumstances.
On Thursday last, the court held the accused duo—Irshad Ahmad Wani alias Sunny Wazirbagh Srinagar and Muhammad Umar Noor of Bemina Srinagar— guilty of the offence under RPC’s Sections of 326-A (Voluntarily causing grievous hurt by use of acid), 201 (destroying evidence) and 120-B (criminal conspiracy).
“I find that the prosecution has been able to establish the charges against the accused persons beyond any reasonable shadow of doubt. As such, this charge-sheet is accepted and the accused persons namely Irshad Amin Wani and Mohammed Umer Noor (Accused No.2), are held guilty for the offences punishable under Sections 326-A, 201 &120- B RPC,” the court said.
The court said, “The established facts, circumstances and the chain of evidence taken cumulatively are so complete and consistent that in all human probabilities, the only hypothesis is that the horrendous act of throwing acid on the victim has been committed by the accused No.2 in furtherance of the conspiracy hatched by accused No.1 with accused No.2,” the court had said, adding, “The established facts and circumstances do not leave any reasonable ground for the conclusion consistent with the innocence of the accused persons.”
Notably, on 11 December 2014, a young law student was grievously injured in the acid attack near Nowshera on the city outskirts while she was on way to her college.
Given the gravity of the offence which sent shock waves across the Valley, a Special Investigation Team, constituted by the then IGP Kashmir A.G. Mir under the supervision of then SSP Srinagar Amit Kumar with then SP Rayees Mohammad Bhat (presently DIG South Kashmir) as incharge of SIT, arrested the two persons accused within a fortnight. (GNS)