Additional District and Sessions Judge, Fast Track Sessions Court-1, Savitri V. Bhat, on Thursday sentenced 34-year-old Raju alias Raja to 10 years of imprisonment on finding him guilty of raping a 14-year-old girl.
According to the chargesheet, Raju alias Raja, a coolie, was a relative of the girl. He sexually harassed the girl when she was alone at home after her mother left for work in the morning. He raped her in September 2015 and on subsequent days and threatened her against revealing it to anyone.
When the girl complained of stomach pain, her mother took her to Lady Goschen Hospital. After doctors said she was pregnant, the girl revealed the assault to her mother and a complaint was filed in December 2015.
The girl terminated the pregnancy.
The judge sentenced Raju to 10 years and fine of ₹10,000 for the offence punishable under Section of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. He was also sentenced to seven years rigorous imprisonment and fined ₹5,000 under Section 376 of Indian Penal Code read with Section 4 of POCSO Act. The judge also sentenced him to imprisonment of one year and fine of ₹1,000 under Section 506 of IPC. All the sentences will run concurrently, the judge said.
The judge further ordered compensation of ₹3 lakh to the girl under Rule 9 of the POCSO Rules 2020. The State government has been directed to deposit the compensation amount within one month.
