Lucknow: A special Pocso court in Barabanki sentenced a man to life imprisonment for raping a 13-year-old Dalit girl who later became pregnant. The judgment was delivered on Wednesday, nearly five years and 11 months after the case was registered.
Special Judge Pran Vijay Singh convicted Lallu alias Wasim, also imposing a fine of Rs 60,000 and directing that the full amount be paid to the survivor.
According to the prosecution, the girl’s mother, a resident of a village under Asandra police station limits, filed a complaint on Nov 18, 2020.
She alleged the assault occurred around 10 months earlier when her daughter had gone out to graze goats. The accused, a resident of the same village, allegedly raped the minor and threatened her into silence, preventing disclosure to family members.
The case surfaced after the girl became pregnant. The prosecution said the accused later gave her medication to terminate the pregnancy. Her health reportedly worsened at home, after which the family came to know about the alleged assault.
Police investigated the complaint and filed a charge sheetunder relevant provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
During trial, the court recorded the victim’s statement and heard testimony from seven prosecution witnesses. After hearing both sides and examining evidence, the court held the accused guilty and ordered life imprisonment along with the compensation fine forame to the survivor.
Courtesy : TOI
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