Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (SP)

Mangalore, Nov 5: The first additional sessions court here, which had on Wednesday, held Abdul Salam alias Salim guilty of raping a minor girl named Ashwini Kulal from Elinje, Kinnigoly near Mulky, and abetting her suicide, pronounced his sentence term on Thursday November 4.

Holding that charges against the accused have been proved, judge of the court, H Sanjeev Kumar, sentenced Salim to life imprisonment. In addition, a fine of Rs 50,000 has also been levied on him. In case of failure to pay fine, he has been ordered to undergo two additional years of imprisonment. Ashwini, 15-year-old student from a poor family, who got acquainted to Salim while travelling to school daily in his bus, was raped by the conductor in a secluded place. She had later committed suicide, unable to bear the agony.

After protests were organized and the incident created a furore in the state, the government had handed over the investigation to the Corps of Detectives (COD). COD deputy superintendent of police, Yogappa and Seema Mishrakoti, who investigated the matter, had filed charge sheet in the court.