Taxi driver gets life term in rape, murder of woman in 2010

Chandigarh, Nov 28 A court here has awarded life imprisonment to a taxi driver for raping and murdering a 21-year-old student in 2010.

The court, which had on Thursday convicted Monu Kumar in the case, awarded the quantum of punishment on Friday.

The Fast Track Special Court (Rape and POCSO Act Cases) sentenced 38-year-old Monu Kumar to life imprisonment for the rape and murder of the MBA student. A fine of Rs 50,000 each was also imposed on the convict for the rape and murder.

He was convicted under Sections 302 (murder) and 376 (rape) of the Indian Penal Code. The accused had been arrested last year.

Meanwhile, the 21-year-old student's father told reporters after the quantum of punishment was awarded in the case that they are satisfied with the verdict.

However, her mother added, "if he would have got capital punishment we would have been even more satisfied".

The case dates back to July 2010 when the blood-stained body of the woman was found from a secluded area here after which her father had filed a complaint before the police, stating that his daughter left her home on a scooter on July 30, 2010, to attend her classes, but did not return.

As the family had launched a frantic search to trace her on that day, they received a call from her friend that her scooter was found near a taxi stand. After this, her body was found lying in the bushes nearby in a pool of blood.

The accused was arrested last year in another murder and rape case of a woman after which the 2010 case was also solved based on the scientific evidence. Kumar had also made disclosure about the 2010 case after his arrest.

Earlier, the police had registered case against an unidentified person after the rape-murder of the MBA student in 2010.

After his arrest, police had said that the accused found the student sitting on her scooter near a secluded area and talking over phone after which he attacked her from behind and dragged her into the bushes where he committed the crime.

After being traced, the woman was rushed to hospital where the doctors declared her as brought dead.