A special court in Kottayam sentenced on Thursday two medical students to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment for ragging and raping their junior in 2005.

Renjith Varghese, 24, and Sherin Shamsudeen, 25, the first and second accused, have also been imposed a fine of Rs20,000 each. The third accused, 24-year-old Shafeeq Yusuf, has been sentenced to three years in jail.

The court had acquitted six of the nine accused, including three former members of the School of Medical Education, Kottayam, on Wednesday.

The three accused — SME former principal KM Mariam, former director KN Muraleedharan Nair and former psychiatry HoD Saibunneesa Beevi — were charged with conspiracy and destruction of evidence.

On October 21, 2005, six third-year nursing students of the SME accosted the victim, a fresher. The minor, who later filed a complaint, said the seniors had taken her to a lab and molested her. The accused then brought her bag from the hostel and got her onto a bus to her home. Though she did not reveal the incident to anyone, she broke down after returning to class a week later.

The police arrested the principal because she withheld the girl's complaint.

The Kerala Prohibition of Ragging Act 1998 calls for strict action against college authorities for complacency in ragging cases.

Special prosecutor Mohan Raj said the prosecution would appeal against the acquittal of the six accused. Muraleedharan Nair, on his turn, is mulling to file a damage suit.

The court has ordered to hand over the fine amount collected from the convicts to the victim. The two students have been convicted of gang-rape and wrongful confinement. The third accused is convicted for wrongfully confining the minor girl, outraging her modesty and helping her tormentors.

Don Sebastian/ DNA-Daily News & Analysis Source: 3D Syndication