Man gets 5 yrs jail for raping minor girl
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, June 23 2017:
Special Judge POCSO Imphal East, Gaiphulsillu Golmei has sentenced a man convicted of raping a minor girl to five years simple imprisonment and directed the concerned to pay compensation of Rs 2 lakh to the victim.
The convict has been identified as Laishram Bijoy Singh (53) s/o (L) Gambhir Singh of Pangei Yangdong.
He was convicted by the Court under Section 10 of POCSO Act, 2012 on June 19 after the final argument hearing of the special case number 9 of 2015 with reference to FIR number 34 (4) 2014 Heingang police station registered under Section 376 of IPC and Section 4 of POCSO Act.
The convict who was on bail on medical ground was present with his counsel during the sentence hearing of the case today.
Assistant Public Prosecutor (D) submitted before the Court that the man was convicted for the offence punishable under Section 10 of POCSO Act for committing aggravated sexual assault against a minor girl on March 26, 2014 .
He prayed the Court to punish the convict to the maximum degree as the latter knew that the offence committed by him is against the law.
On the other hand, defense counsel prayed for punishing the convict to a lesser degree and pointed out that no allegation except the present one has been made against the man so far.
He stated that the man is not a habitual offender and the latter has no prior conviction in connection with any criminal offence.
Submitting that the convict has been in judicial custody from April 29, 2014 to July 21, the counsel prayed for setting aside the period from the sentence.
After hearing all the submissions from both the sides, the Court sentenced the convict to 5 years simple imprisonment.
The period which the convict served injudicial custody for 95 days (90 days initially and 5 days intermediate custody) will be set off from the period of sentence and the convict has to undergo the sentence for 1731 days from today, the Court ruled.
The Court also ruled that a maximum permissible compensation of Rs 2 lakh be awarded to the victim upon approaching appropriate authority by the victim.
It may be mentioned that the victim's mother lodged a complaint with Heingang police station on April 23, 2014 alleging that her daughter was sexually assaulted by the convict on March 26 evening.
The convict was arrested by a team of Heingang police the next day.