Surat, Feb 19 (ANI): A local court here on Friday awarded life sentence to the three accused in the infamous July 2009 Surat gang rape case that had rocked the city.

A Principal and Sessions Judge held the three accused in the infamous gang rape case and sentenced life imprisonment to the accused Sahid Syeed, Tariq Syeed and Abu Bakr Ismail.

The trio raped 17-year old class 12th schoolgirl around 5 a.m. on July 12, 2009 while she was on her way to the tuitions. She was picked up by the accused in their car posing as police officials, who then raped her in the vehicle shocking the conscience of the people of the city.

The accused had also recorded the rape on their mobile phones. The three were however, arrested within hours of the incident.

The chargesheet in the case was filed on July 24, 2009. The hearing was scheduled on day-to-day basis.

The accused Shahid and Tariq are sons of police officials.

The city was on boil after the incident and circulation of MMS. There were protests in the city after the gang rape of a 17-year-old minor girl.

The court has completed the hearing time in record time and announced the verdict within a year of incident setting an example for others. (ANI)