CHANDIGARH: An Additional District and Sessions Judge (ADSJ) in Haryana's Jind district handed down a 20-year prison sentence in a Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) case on Friday.
ADSJ Dr Chander Hass imposed a fine of Rs 35,000 on the accused for various charges and ordered an additional 28 months of imprisonment in case of non-payment.
The mother of a 16-year-old minor victim had reported her daughter missing to the Julana police station in Jind district on October 25, 2021. Subsequently, the police located the victim a few days later, and she made allegations of rape and kidnapping against Sumit (23) from Julana town.
The victim's mother accused Sumit of abducting her daughter and subjecting her to continuous sexual assault.
Following the victim's medical examination, additional charges, including POCSO, Section 376N (which entails a minimum of ten years of imprisonment for repeated rape of the same woman, extendable to life imprisonment), Section 363 (punishment for kidnapping), and Section 366 (kidnapping, abducting, or inducing a woman to compel her marriage), were added to the case. The trial took place in the special fast-track court, where ADSJ Dr. Chander Hass handed down a rigorous imprisonment sentence and fines within a two-year timeframe.
The court sentenced the accused to three years of rigorous imprisonment under Section 363, along with a fine of Rs 5,000, and five years of rigorous imprisonment under Section 366, with a fine of Rs 10,000.
Additionally, the accused received a 20-year prison term under the POCSO Act, along with a fine of Rs 20,000. The accused was charged by this court on February 3, 2022, under Sections 363, 366, and 376N of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and was sentenced to rigorous imprisonment on October 6, 2023.
(The victim's identity has not been revealed to protect her privacy as per Supreme Court directives on cases related to sexual assault)
