Assam court convicts man of 20 years imprisonment for raping minor; sent to custody

A POCSO court in Dhubri district of Assam has sentenced a man to twenty years in jail for kidnapping and raping of a five-year-old girl in 2022. According to the police, the accused was arrested shortly after committing the crime after he parents filed a case with the police.

The police had filed the case against the accused under various sections related to Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act and section 376-AB (raping a female below 12 years of age) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

During the hearing, Rituparna Guha, special public prosecutor, told the court the rape survivors family had the case in the Fakirganj Police Station on February 17, 2022. The FIR said that the accused had allegedly offered chocolate to the girl.

After this, he took her to an abandoned place and raped her. Sharing further details, the family said that she was found in half-naked condition, while the accused was nowhere to be seen. After his arrest, the accused had applied for bail. However, it was rejected by the court.

Accused convicted under POCSO

On Saturday, the court passed the order and convicted the accused under POCSO and 376-AB under the Indian Penal Code. Apart frpm twenty years imprisonment, man has aslo been asked to pay a fine of Rs 5,000. In case he is unable to pay the amount he will have to spend five more years on jail.

Earlier this year, a 15-year-old girl was allegedly raped and killed in Guwahati by the man who was asked to take her to school. Her body was later found in a forest days after she had left her district to attend the school.

The 25-year-old accused was the neighbour of the victim. Both the deceased and the accused were from the Karbi tribe. As per the police, victim had gone home for a break from school. The victim’s family had asked the man to take her back to the school.