Delhi court sentences man to 20-year imprisonment for raping minor

New Delhi, Jul 24 (PTI) A court here has sentenced a man to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment for raping a 15-year-old girl in 2022, saying the punishment must be commensurate with the gravity of the "loathsome act." Also observing that a Delhi Police official had conducted a "shoddy investigation" in the case, the court recommended departmental action against her.

Additional Sessions Judge Susheel Bala Dagar was hearing a case against the man, who was earlier convicted for the offence under Section 6 (aggravated penetrative sexual assault) of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, besides under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) provisions for rape, kidnapping and abducting or compelling a woman to induce her marriage.

Additional Public Prosecutor Yogita Kaushik Dahiya appeared for the state.

"Taking into consideration the aggravating and mitigating circumstances, including the gravity of the offence, age of the child victim and the convict, the family condition of the convict and the child victim, and social and economic factors governing them, the convict is sentenced for 20 years rigorous imprisonment for the offence punishable under Section 6 of the POCSO Act," the court said.

It also awarded him seven years of rigorous imprisonment each for the offences of kidnapping and for compelling a woman to induce her marriage.

The sentences will run concurrently, the court said in its judgment pronounced on Monday.

Noting the facts of the case, it said the man had kidnapped the girl on March 5, 2022, seduced her for illicit intercourse with him on the pretext of marriage, and committed penetrative sexual assault.

The court said the psychological scars of sexual abuse during childhood are indelible and they keep haunting the individual forever, thereby hindering their proper physical and psychological development.

"Such persons like the convict mislead child victims into thinking that they are entering a legal marital union…By such allurements the victim child is enticed away from lawful guardianship as well as away from studies, accordingly, affecting the life of minor victims," the court said.

"Thus, the penalty awarded to the convict should commensurate with the gravity of the loathsome act so as it serves as an effective deterrence to like-minded persons," it added.

The court, meanwhile, deprecated the Delhi Police’s investigation.

It said investigating officer (IO), Sub-inspector Bimlesh failed to collect the first marriage documents of the convict, and this was an example of a "faulty investigation conducted for the reasons best known to her." The court said the police official also did not check the register of a temple where the minor’s marriage was performed, which again showed "the shoddy investigation by the IO." "In the present case, there are lapses on the part of the investigating agency which show that the conduct of the IO is blameworthy and appropriate departmental action is recommended against the erring IO. However, despite all the lapses on the part of the investigating agency, the testimony of the victim child remained firm leading to the conviction," it said. PTI MNR MNR MNK MNK