Surtis demand death penalty for gangrape accused

SURAT: Citizens are still boiling with anger for the three youths who gangraped the 17-year-old class XII student on June 12. Shahid Saiyad, Tariq Saiyad, both sons of policemen and Abu Bakr Shaikh, who had once faced mob ire in court, again encountered fuming girl students, who booed them with nasty slogans outside the sessions court on Saturday evening.
"Arise haivano ko to beech raste min phasi deni chahiye (Such satans must be hanged in full public view)," screamed Shristi Naik, a college student, who cancelled her weekend outing with friends to specially remain present on the court campus at Athwalines to hit out at the three accused.When the trio emerged from the police van, Shristi could not control her emotions and abused the trio for their heinous act.
She had waited for three hours for the trio to emerge out of the court building on Saturday.
"I salute the victim for her courage in exposing the rapists. Now, the judiciary should deliver her the justice by fixing apt punishment for the rapists," said another girl student present there.
Like Shristi, many youngsters including girls and boys had thronged the court building demanding stringent punishment for the rapists on Saturday.
"Being a girl, I very well understand the mental and the physical condition of the victim. This case should be settled in such a way that the rapists either get death or life term sentence," said Prachi Patel, a school student.
Pratik Pujara, a sales executive, said, "The culprits should be handed over to us. Let the people of Surat punish the culprits."
Fearing attack from the enraged mob waiting out the court premises, the police had ensured stringent security by closing the entry gates of the building.
"The accused have been thrashed by the public on two occasions. Since they are in our custody, it is our responsibility to protect them," said RH Hadia, one of the investigating officers in the gangrape case.