Court sentences rapist to 20 years RI
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, February 07 2022:
Special Judge (POCSO) Binny Ngangom sentenced a 19-year old man for raping a minor girl to undergo rigorous imprisonment for 20 years and imposed fine of Rs 5000 under Section 6 POCSO Act.
Moreover, a sum of Rs 4 lakh should be given as financial assistance to the victim under the Manipur Victim Compensation Scheme 2019, the judge directed.
The convicted person is Choudhurimayum Ananda Sharma (19) son of (L) Ch Ibotombi Sharma of Tentha Khunou Awang Leikai.
On March 13, 2021, mother of the victim complained to Thoubal police stating that her daughter, who was reading class III, was sexually assaulted by Ananda Sharma at about 10:30 am at his house.
Subsequently Women Police Station, Thoubal took up a case and arrested the accused on the same day around 4.10 pm.
IO of the case collected evidential materials from the victim and the accused and also conducted Medico-Legal Examination at JNIMS department of forensic.
The examination report confirmed sexual assault on the victim.
On finding prima facie evidences against the accused, charges under Section 6 of the POCSO Act were framed against Ananda Sharma.
The victim stayed at her maternal grandmother's place at Tentha during the school break due to pandemic, and she went for tuition to the house of Ananda Sharma, who assaulted the victim sexually.
During the stage of prosecution witness hearing, the accused on January 18, 2022 filed an application praying for examining him.
Upon questioning, the accused confessed that he was guilty of the charges framed against him.
He confided that he had committed the terrible deed out of grudge and premature thought, upon recalling his fearsome childhood in which the victim's mother tortured him.
He pleaded the judge to have mercy on him as he only has his mother and his little sister who is still a kid.
The defence counsel appealed to the court to consider the circumstances of the culprit before passing the sentence.
The counsel said that the convict was 18 years and 6 months at the time of committing the offence.
He is studying in Class XII and wanted to further his studies.
He won bronze medal in National Martial Arts Games, 2016 supported by Maharashtra Police, bagged silver medal in Kick Boxing State Level Championship, 2015, came in third place in Wushu Championship cum Foundation Trophy 2012 held in Itanagar, fourth place in NE Zone Wushu Championship 2011 and also participated in Mix Martial Arts, 2018.He has a widowed mother and a kid sister as his only family and therefore, has a big responsibility towards his family, the defence counsel argued, while appealing to the court to give minimum punishment in consideration of the circumstances of the culprit.
The judge after thorough examination convicted Ananda Sharma to undergo 20 years rigorous imprisonment and pay a fine of Rs 5,000 under section 6 of POCSO Act on February 5 .