BSF Duo Jailed for 42 Years for Brutal Gang Rape and Acid Attack in Mizoram

In a significant verdict nearly nine years after a horrific crime shook Mizoram, a court in Aizawl on Tuesday sentenced two Border Security Force (BSF) personnel to a total of 42 years of rigorous imprisonment for gang raping a woman and attacking her with acid in 2017.

Additional District and Sessions Judge Sylvie Zomuanpuii Ralte awarded the punishment to Nilanjan Das and Dinesh Kumar , who were found guilty under multiple provisions of the Indian Penal Code. The court had convicted the duo on June 12 and pronounced the quantum of punishment on Tuesday.

According to the judgment, both convicts were sentenced to 20 years' rigorous imprisonment for gang rape , 10 years for rape causing grievous bodily harm , and 12 years for acid attack . The sentences will run consecutively, taking the total imprisonment period to 42 years . The court also imposed a fine of Rs 60,000 each , with additional imprisonment in case of default.

The case dates back to July 16, 2017 , when the victim and her friend, Rangobi , had gone to a forest area near the Gaskata stream in Mamit district to collect crabs and wild vegetables. During that time, the two women allegedly encountered the accused, who were posted at a BSF camp along the Mizoram-Bangladesh border .

Court records revealed that the accused forcibly took the woman to a nearby betel nut plantation, where she was sexually assaulted. The attackers later poured a corrosive substance on her face, leaving her with severe burns, permanent facial disfigurement, and loss of vision in one eye .

A complaint lodged by the survivor's brother led to the registration of a police case on July 18, 2017. Investigators later recovered crucial forensic evidence from the survivor's clothing and from materials linked to the deceased woman. Laboratory examinations confirmed traces of a corrosive substance connected to the attack.

The survivor also identified both accused during a Test Identification Parade conducted before a judicial magistrate in September 2017. During the trial, the prosecution examined 18 witnesses , including medical experts, police investigators and local residents.

While delivering the verdict, the court placed substantial reliance on the survivor's testimony, describing it as consistent, credible and trustworthy . The evidence, along with medical and forensic findings, played a key role in securing the conviction.

However, the court acquitted the two men of charges related to the death of Rangobi, whose body was discovered in a forested area several days after the incident. Although post-mortem and forensic examinations concluded that she had been murdered, the judge held that the prosecution failed to establish beyond reasonable doubt that the accused were responsible for her death. The court noted that the chain of circumstantial evidence was incomplete and insufficient to sustain a murder conviction.

The verdict marks a major development in one of Mizoram's most disturbing criminal cases, bringing a measure of justice to the survivor after a long legal battle.