Bangalore, Sept 6 : The Karnataka High Court has increased the jail sentence of an acid thrower Rajesh from seven years to life imprisonment, after the girl pleaded that she feared a fresh attack from him, reports Bangalore Mirror.
Shruti Satyanarayana, an SSLC student, was good looking and had dreams of becoming a doctor. But all her dreams were singed by an acid attack in August 2002.
Rajesh,a school dropout, had his eyes on her. He proposed to her, but Shruti being academic minded, spurned the offer.
Mad with rage, Rajesh splashed acid on the girl, while she was returning to her Shakambari Nagar home, on the evening of August 12, 2002.
Shruti sustained severe burn injuries on her face, upper body and abdomen.
She survived, but her face was disfigured beyond repair.
Rajesh was convicted and sentenced to seven years imprisonment by a lower court.
He served the sentence and came out of jail in April 2011.
Shruti feared that the person who wrecked her life, being a free man once again, would attack her again. She approached the police to get his sentence enhanced.
Inspector S K Umesh of J P Nagar police station and special public prosecutor Chandramouli approached the High Court of Karnataka on Shrutis behalf.
The court conducted a quick hearing and increased Rajesh's prison term from seven years to life imprisonment.
Rajesh was arrested by the police on Saturday and sent to Parappana Agrahara.
Enhancing Rajesh's sentence, the High Court observed that it was a rarest of rare crimes and deserved more punishment.
The high court has directed Rajesh to provide a compensation of Rs 5 lakh to Shruthi, who has no source of income to survive in life.
