Rape convict sentenced to 10 yrs RI
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, January 29 2024:
Fast Track Special Court No l Manipur sentenced a man convicted of raping a minor girl in December, 2016 to ten years of rigorous imprisonment.
During the sentence hearing on January 25, a team of Bishnupur women police station produced the convict, identified as Nameirakpam Premkumar alias Bungcha (24) s/o Ningthem of Thinungei Awang Leikai Ward no.5 before the court.
The prosecution submitted to the court that on December 3, 2016, Premkumar kidnapped his then 12 -year old cousin sister in a Maruti Alto car and sexually assaulted her in Nambol area.
He then threatened the victim to call someone to pick her up.
The victim called up one of her friends, and then spent the night at the friend's house.
The next day, her friend s family brought her back home, as per the report made by the victim's mother to the Women PS.
After the case went to trial, accused Premkumar was found guilty under section 6 and 8 of POCSO Act on January 18, and the sentence hearing fixed on January 25.The Special PP further stated that Premkumar and the victim are distant relatives, with the victim addressing him as "Taton".
Premkumar, instead of fulfilling his brotherly duties, kidnapped and sexually assaulted the girl in the most inhumane way.
As such, the prosecutor prayed for awarding the most stringent punishment to the convict under the POCSO Act, 2012, so as to prevent others from committing similar crimes in future.
Meanwhile, the defence counsel contended that Premkumar never had any criminal record in his life and worked as a mechanic in a garage to take care of his family.
Thus, the counsel appealed to the court for minimum sentence possible and also to commute the time (One year, one month and one day) he spent in judicial custody during the trial period from the total sentence period.
After listening to both arguments, the court sentenced Premkumar to three years of rigorous imprisonment under section 8 of POCSO Act, and 10 years of rigorous imprisonment under section 6 of the same Act.
It also ordered Premkumar to pay a fine of Rs 5000, failing which he would have to stay in jail for one more month.
Both sentences are to run concurrently and the time he spent in judicial custody would be commuted from his total sentence period.
The court observed that while the victim did not submit Form B' and other relevant documents, as required under POCSO Rule 2015, for granting victim compensation under section 33 (8) of the Act, the victim's mother physically made a prayer to the court to grant the compensation in view of the mental distress suffered by the victim till date.
Thus, it directed the state government to provide compensation of Rs 2 lakh to the survivor's family under the Victim Compensation Scheme or any other scheme or under Section 357 of CrPC, within 30 days.