AN Indian man has been sentenced to seven years in prison for drugging and raping an Irish woman five years ago.
Sujoy Mitra, 40, had also been ordered to pay a substantial fine, failing which he will spend a further year in jail.
The victim, 25, was out in Alipore, Kolkata in 2013 celebrating her 21st birthday when Mitra spiked her drink before raping her.
The aid worker, who has not been named, recorded a statement from the Indian Embassy in Dublin – which was shown at Alipore Judges Court on Saturday.
The prosecution said Mitra’s conviction was a landmark judgement given the use of videoed testimony.
They said: "It can probably open a new path for foreigners to seek justice without taking the trouble of travelling.
"The deposition was even more unique since the woman was asked to depose from the office of the Indian Embassy in Ireland."
The court heard that Mitra gave the victim a spiked drink in a Kolkata nightclub before taking her back to his home, where the attack took place.
The 25-year-old said she felt drowsy and could not resist Mitra, who raped her while she was in a semi-conscious state.
The morning after the attack she went to a local police station with a friend to file a report.
While the court found Mitra guilty on Friday, it reserved its sentencing for Saturday.
The conviction was secured on the basis of 23 witnesses that the prosecution were able to identify.
Mitra’s lawyers said they are going to decide whether to appeal the sentence at a later date.
