Two get jail for 12 years over assault on woman for feeding stray dogs

Rajkot: Eight years after a woman was brutally assaulted for feeding stray dogs, the sessions court in Rajkot convicted two men and sentenced them to 12 years' imprisonment. Additional sessions judge V K Bhatt, in the order dated Jan 8, convicted Hardik Kheradiya (40) and Tejas Rathod (30) under Sections 307 (attempt to murder), 326 (grievous hurt), 448 (house trespass) and 114 of the Indian Penal Code. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 60,000 on each convict. A third accused was acquitted due to lack of evidence.According to the prosecution, the incident occurred on Oct 12, 2018, at Laxmiwadi in Rajkot. The complainant, Sharda Shishangiya, stated that around 10pm she was feeding a stray dog outside her house when Hardik, a neighbour, confronted her, blaming her for dog-bite incidents in the area. He allegedly abused her and struck her on the head with a stick.When Sharda's nephew, Dipak, intervened, Hardik threatened him and left. He later returned with Tejas, who was armed with a knife, and another unidentified person carrying a stick. The three allegedly barged into Sharda's house and assaulted her, causing serious injuries.As Dipak attempted to rescue her, Tejas stabbed him in the back, causing him to collapse. Sharda suffered injuries to her left hand while trying to snatch the knife and was stabbed again. Neighbours rushed to the spot and rescued the victims.While fleeing, the accused allegedly threatened the victims, saying they would kill them the next time.Given the seriousness of the injuries, Sharada's statement was recorded at Rajkot Civil Hospital, and an FIR was registered at Bhaktinagar police station on Oct 13, 2018. After investigation, police filed a chargesheet, invoking relevant charges against the accused.Additional public prosecutor P N Shah said the prosecution examined 16 witnesses and produced 55 documentary exhibits, including medical and forensic evidence. "Despite the accused denying the charges, the court convicted them based on the evidence on record," he said.