Tutor convicted
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, September 24 2019:
A tuition teacher identified as Waikhom Abungoton has been convicted under POCSO Act for sexually assaulting nine minor students and fixed October 1 for the sentence hearing today.
The conviction was passed by Maibam Manojkumar, Special Judge, POCSO, Imphal East.
The judgment had been kept on reserved since September 10 this year following the final hearing of the nine cases which were registered against the convict who is from Kyamgei Mayai Leikai and lodged in Manipur Central Jail, Sajiwa.
The case began from mid 2016 after the mother of the one of the minor victims lodged a complaint before Imphal East women PS claiming that her minor daughter had been sexually assaulted by the convict at his tuition centre.
More complaints were lodged by the parents of 8 other minor students who were also getting tuition from the convict claiming that their children had been sexually assaulted during the period from August to December of 2015 .
The investigation was taken up by five women Sub Inspectors of Imphal East women PS who later submitted 9 charge sheets against the convict in the late part of 2016 .
Among the nine charge sheets, two each were submitted by Women SI (WSI) T Usharani, WSI N Memtu, WSI RK Babina and WSI Syed Murtaza Reshme and one charge sheet was submitted by WSI Jengaimeiliu Golmei.
Further, charges were framed on June 29, 2017 under POCSO Act and the trial began from July 13 the same year.
Statement of a number of witnesses, including the mothers of the minors as well as the IOs of the nine different FIR cases, were recorded but no defense witnesses were produced from the side of convict in his defense.
Following the final hearing of the case, the Court reserved the judgment order on September 10 .
Today, after hearing both parties at length and going through the available materials, the Court convicted Waikhom Abungoton and fixed October 1 for the sentence hearing and the announcement of the quantum of punishment.