In the brutal case of rape and murder of a mother-daughter duo, a Surat court sentenced the accused to the gallows while the crime accomplice has been awarded life imprisonment. The case dates back to June 2018 and was registered at the Pandesara police station.
Rapist-murderer Harsha Sahai Ramraj Gurjar and his partner in crime, Hariom Gurjar, were pinned down by the Ahmedabad Crime Branch. The four-year trial examined a total of 43 witnesses and about 120 documents were produced before the court.
Harsh Sahai, a resident of Pandesara in Surat, bought the woman and her daughter from Rajasthan for Rs 35,000. Arrangements were made to lodge them in an empty flat in Mansarovar Residency (Building 17), near Kamaraj. “The sexploits began shortly afterwards and when the woman resisted her daughter’s rape, Harsh Sahai killed her in front of the young girl. At some point, after being repeatedly raped, the girl was also killed. As many as 78 injuries were found on the girl’s body,” shared investigating officer, B.N.Dave .
The girl’s body was dumped near Fakir Cricket Ground in Bhestan with the help of driver Hariom Gurjar. “It was a tough case to put together. Bodies had to be identified and related by DNA tests with no living relative of the victim to be traced. However, the two key witnesses, both labourers, proved vital in nailing the culprits. We are also grateful to the then public prosecutor and the investigating officers for their hard work in bringing justice,” added Dave.
