Rape accused convicted
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, April 25 2024: The Additional Session Judge of the Fast Track Court (Crimes Against Women, Manipur) convicted a 28 years old man under Sections 376 (Rape) and 417 (Cheating) of IPC, today.

The sentence hearing will be done on May 10 .

Rape convict Chongtham Dhurbajit (28), s/o Shyam-sunder of Nagamapal Phou- geisangbam Leikai appeared before the Court along with his counsel for the announcement of the judgment order which was kept reserved after the final hearing of the case on January 10, 2024 .

Dhurbajit, who was on bail, has been sent to judicial custody (Manipur Central Jail, Sajiwa) .

The case was on against the convict on the basis of a complaint filed by the victim before Imphal Police Station in May 2018 .

As per the complainant, she and the convict started having love affairs in May 2013 .

The complainant claimed that the convict sexually assaulted her several times while they were in a relationship to the extent that she got pregnant twice.

Continuing that the convict gave her pills to cause abortion every time she got pregnant in 2015 and 2017, the complainant continued that the convict agreed to marry her only after he built a house.

Claiming the convict agreed to elope with her in March 2018, she added that her ex-boyfriend, however, didn't turn up and also switched off his mobile phone.

The complainant continued that she came to know the convict had already eloped with another woman and their marriage had been fixed when she went to his house.

She went on to state the convict threatened to kill her for coming to his house.

The IO of the case after the completion of the investigation submitted the chargesheet before the Court of Chief Judicial Magistrate, Imphal West and later committed the same to Session Judge, Imphal West as the level of the offence was exclusively triable by the Session Judge.

The case was again transferred to the Additional Session Judge of the Fast Track Court (Crimes Against Women Manipur) in March 2020 and charges were framed against the convict in December 2020 .

During the trial of the case, the prosecution produced eight prosecution witnesses and other material exhibits before the Court.

The Court after hearing Special PP A Sushila and the defence counsel during the final hearing of the case observed that the prosecution had proven that the convict had raped the victim by giving a false promise to marry her.

The Court then convicted Chongtham Dhurbajit.

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