A Jalandhar court has sentenced two men to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment each for attacking schoolgirl Kusum Kumari with a sharp-edged weapon while snatching her mobile phone in 2020. Kusum, who was 15 at the time, was honoured with the National Bravery Award in 2023 for her courage.Additional Sessions Judge Parminder Singh Rai convicted Avinash Kumar alias Ashu and Vinod Kumar alias Jhikka under Sections 307 (attempt to murder) and 379-B (snatching) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Vinod was also convicted under Section 411 of the IPC for possessing stolen property.The court imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 on each convict under Section 307 and Rs 20,000 each under Section 379-B. Vinod was additionally sentenced to two years of rigorous imprisonment and fined Rs 5,000 under Section 411. The court also ordered additional imprisonment in case of default in payment of the fines.The incident took place on August 30, 2020, when Kusum was returning home after tuition classes. A motorcycle-borne snatcher allegedly grabbed her mobile phone near Shivjyoti Park in Deen Dayal Upadhyay Nagar. Kusum chased him and caught hold of his shirt, following which he attacked her with a sharp-edged weapon, aiming at her head.She raised her left arm to protect herself and suffered a grievous injury to her wrist. She was rushed to a private hospital, where she underwent emergency surgery. The treating doctor told the court that the injury was bone-deep and had severed tendons in her wrist, fingers and thumb.A video of the incident went viral, drawing widespread appreciation for Kusum’s courage. She received the National Bravery Award in 2023.The then Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh had also praised her bravery and announced financial assistance of Rs 1 lakh, which was provided through the district administration. The then Jalandhar Police Commissioner Gurpreet Bhullar extended financial assistance of Rs 50,000 and gave her a new mobile phone.The district administration also dedicated a graffiti to Kusum under the PAP flyover and announced her as a brand ambassador for the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao mission.At the time of the incident, Kusum was a Class VIII student at Lala Jagat Narayan DAV Model School. The two accused were riding a motorcycle when the mobile snatching took place.In its judgment, the court relied on the consistent testimonies of Kusum and two neighbourhood residents who had witnessed the incident and helped apprehend Avinash. The judge observed that nothing substantial had emerged during their cross-examination to cast doubt on their credibility.The court also considered the recovery of the weapon and motorcycle, CCTV-related photographic evidence and the forensic science laboratory report, which corroborated the prosecution’s case.