Bokaro, May 22: Three years after Gita Devi was attacked with acid that left her blind in one eye, her tormentor was today handed a life sentence by a Bokaro fast track court.

S.K. Chowdhry, the Bokaro additional sessions judge of fast-track court I, found schoolteacher Subhash Boury (27) guilty on the three counts — attempting to rape Gita Devi, throwing a bottle of acid on her and trying to kill her.

Boury was sentenced to life imprisonment under two counts — attempt to murder and voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapons or means — and handed a jail term of five years for attempt to rape. All the sentences would run concurrently.

Bokaro additional public prosecutor Rakesh Rai, who represented Gita Devi (25), said the attack took place on April 15, 2005, when she — newly married then — was sleeping alone on the roof of her house at Pindrajora. Her husband, Nago Boury, was away at a relative’s place. The schoolteacher — he used to stay in the locality — then scaled the roof of Devi’s house with a bottle of acid.

First, he tried to outrage her modesty. When she began screaming for help, Boury threw acid on her face. She lost consciousness. Later, neighbours and her relatives rushed Devi to Bokaro General Hospital, where she had to remain in ICU for several months. By the time she was released, she had lost her right eye and her face was distorted. Eventually, she was deserted by her husband.

The case, lodged at the Pindrajora police station, was in trial for three years.

Gita told The Telegraph today that though she was happy with the judgment as the guilty had been punished, she rued the fact that her husband deserted her for no fault of hers.

“Life is meaningless for me and see how male chauvinism wins even in a progressive society. Had this ever happened to my husband, I would not have run away. But now look how I lead a lonely battle just to survive,” said the daily wage earner.

But the schoolteacher was brazen. While being taken to Chas jail, he said: “There is nothing to worry… What’s wrong in going to jail? Many great people were imprisoned.”