Convicted
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, June 21 2019: A 29 year old man identified as Seram Chinglen of Khurai Angom Leikai was convicted of raping a minor inside a restaurant located at Sawombung on March 1, 2016, by Maibam Manojkumar, Special Judge POCSO Imphal East today.

The Court also fixed June 29 for the sentence hearing and the announcement of the quantum of punishment.

Chinglen was produced before the Court from Sajiwa Central Jail today after the order was kept reserved following the final hearing on June 4 .

The case began against the convict from June 30, 2016, after a complaint was lodged by Y Indramani, District Child Protection Officer of Imphal West District, Social Welfare Department, to the OC of Imphal East women PS.

The complaint said on the same day (June 30), at around 8.30 pm, he was informed by one Medical Social Worker of RIMS that a minor came to the PPP centre for pregnancy termination and it was also learned that the minor had been sexually assaulted.

The complainant further mentioned that the victim was sexually assaulted by the convict at a restaurant at Sawombung on March 11 the same year and during the interaction with the victim, it was revealed that the convict had given her a cold drink and she became unconscious after drinking it and when she regained her senses, she found herself without any clothes on.

Based on the complaint, the convict was arrested from his residence the next day by Imphal East women police and lodged in Sajiwa Central Jail from July 8 .

Women SI RK Babina, after completion of the investigation, submitted the charge sheet before the Court in the late part of 2016 and charges were framed under section 6 of POCSO Act on June 13, 2017 .

The trial began on June 16 (2017) and during the three year long trial against, the Court recorded and cross checked 11 prosecution witnesses (including the minor victim) .

The Court also recorded and cross checked the submission of the defense witness produced on behalf of the convict.

After completion of the hearing of both prosecution and defense witnesses, the Court heard the submission of M Bishambhor, APP for the State, and Th Rebecca Devi (defense counsel of the convict) during the final argument of the case on June 4.The Court observed that the incident happened in 2016 when the age of the victim was 16 years and as such, the victim girl was a minor at the time of the incident.

So, the Court ruled that the Chinglen sexually assaulted the victim and also made her pregnant.

Thus Chinglen was convicted under section 6 of POCSO Act by the Court, which also fixed June 29 for the sentence hearing.

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