Bangalore:
Karnataka High Court sentenced four persons accused of gang raping a 22 year-old woman to ten years rigorous imprisonment.
Setting aside the order of a lower court acquitting the four, a division bench headed by Justice Dilip B Bhosale also sentenced the four accused to five years rigorous imprisonment.
Allowing an appeal by the state government, the court imposed a fine of Rs 25,000 each on them.
According to prosecution, Gangadharappa, Siddappagari Manjunath, Gopala and Gadampalli Shrinivas had raped the woman on the night of July 26, 2005 in a village near Siddlagatta in Kolar district.
The next evening, the woman committed suicide by setting herself ablaze.
The four were acquitted by a trial court in 2007 after which the state government filed an appeal against the trial court order.