A Mizoram court has convicted two Border Security Force (BSF) personnel for the gang-rape of a woman and an acid attack that left her with severe facial burns and temporary blindness near a border outpost in Mamit district in 2017. Additional District and Sessions Judge Sylvie Z Ralte pronounced Nilanjan Das and Dinesh Kumar guilty on Friday, following a trial that examined 18 witnesses, including medical and forensic experts. Sentencing is slated for Tuesday.
The Incident
According to prosecutors, the survivor and her friend had gone to Gaskata stream near the Silsury West border outpost, close to Bangladesh, on July 16, 2017, to collect crabs and bamboo shoots. They were intercepted by two BSF men carrying large tiffin boxes. The case was registered based on a complaint filed by the survivor's brother, who alleged that his sister was gang-raped and attacked with acid while her companion went missing. The prosecution stated that the friend briefly left to relieve herself before Das and Kumar sexually assaulted the survivor and poured acid on her face, causing severe burns, disfigurement, and temporary loss of vision. Villagers later discovered the survivor and alerted her family.
Investigation and Trial
Police launched an investigation on July 17, 2017, and the survivor underwent a medical examination the following day. Doctors confirmed both sexual assault and acid burns. She was initially treated at a primary health center before being transferred to Aizawl Civil Hospital. Separate proceedings are underway regarding the death of the survivor's friend, whose body, bearing acid burns, was recovered near the crime scene on July 17 after an extensive search. Mizoram police investigated both cases.
Investigators traced the suspects to the 181 Battalion BSF camp and matched them through duty rosters. Das and Kumar were assigned food-supply duties on the day of the crime. During a test identification parade on September 5, 2017, the survivor identified both men as her attackers. The court's verdict is believed to be Mizoram's first conviction in an acid attack case, concluding a lengthy prosecution and tightening the legal net around a crime that had remained under scrutiny for nearly a decade.
About the Author
HC Vanlalruata, based at Aizawl, Mizoram, is known for his sharp, on-the-ground reporting as a regional “stinger.” He covers breaking news, ethnic affairs, and border issues from Mizoram, providing real-time updates and local insights for the national daily’s northeast bureau.
