CHANDIGARH: A local court in Haryana’s Kaithal town observed that “rape is a crime against the holy body of a girl and the soul of the society” while awarding a 25-year jail term to granthi (preacher) of a gurdwara for raping two minor girls.
“Children are precious human resources of a country. Rape is a crime against the holy body of a girl child and the soul of society. The girl-child victims aged nine years and 10 years, respectively, at the time of incidents, with efflux of time, would grow with a traumatic experience, an unforgettable shame,” observed the court while handing down the sentence.
Convict gets 25-yr jail, to pay Rs 50,000 fine
In a detailed order, additional sessions judge Poonam Suneja of the Kaithal district court also observed that the plight of the child survivor and the shock suffered by them can be well visualised.
“The crime speaks of depravity and degradation, which is of heinous character. Convict Jasbir Singh, a married man of 50-years of age, who was working as granthi in a gurdwara, has shown the most unfortunate and abusive facet of human conduct. It is a case where trust has been betrayed and social values are impaired,” the court observed.
The court was also of the view that it would be failing in its duty if appropriate punishment is not awarded for a crime that has been committed not only against the survivors but also the society to which both the criminal and the survivors belong.
Holding the granthi guilty under Section 376 AB of IPC and POCSO Act, the judge awarded him 25-year imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 50,000. The court also directed the legal services authority to ensure payment of Rs 5.5 lakh compensation to each child survivor.
The convict was booked on February 6, 2019, at Cheeka police station in Kaithal district for sexually harassing two girls, 9 and 10 years old, on the complaint given by the father of one of the survivors. He used to exploit the minor girls during their visit to the gurdwara.
Deputy district attorney J B Goyal, who was assisted by advocate K L Bhardwaj in this case for the state, said that the granthi was convicted on the basis of the oral, medical, and documentary evidence by the trial court.
