Madikeri: The Virajpet Second Additional District and Sessions Court has sentenced two labourers from West Bengal to 20 years rigorous imprisonment and has imposed a fine of Rs. 1.90 lakh after the Court found them guilty of kidnap, rape and murder of a minor girl student.

Those convicted are 21-year-old Ranjith Ekka and 30-year-old Sandeep Orion, both from West Bengal, who were working as labourers and staying in workers quarters at a coffee estate in Karadigodu, Siddapura.

The case: On Feb. 4, 2019, the girl student, who was residing in workers quarters at a coffee estate in Karadigodu, left for college in the morning. As she did not come back even late in the evening, her parents had lodged a missing complaint on Feb. 5 at Siddapura Police Station.

Police, who took up investigation, took Ranjith and Sandeep, who were working as watchmen at the estate and interrogated them, during which they revealed that they had kidnapped and raped the girl and later strangled her using a rope. They also stated that they had buried the body.

Madikeri Dy.SP K.S. Sundarraj and team, which conducted investigation, had submitted a charge-sheet to the Court on May 3, 2019. The Virajpet Second Additional District and Sessions Court Judge, who took up the case, heard the arguments from both sides and found Ranjith and Sandeep guilty of the crime and sentenced both of them to 20 years rigorous imprisonment besides imposing a fine of Rs. 1.90 lakh. The Court has ordered Rs. 1.80 lakh of the fine amount be given to the victim’s family and Rs. 10,000 to the Court. Public Prosecutor Yasin Ahmed argued on behalf of the Government.