Minor rape case: Man sentenced to 20-years of rigorous imprisonment in Haryana's Jind

Jind (Haryana): A special and fastrack court for protection of children from sexual offences has awarded a 20-year rigorous imprisonment to a man for raping a minor girl in Haryana's Jind district.

The additional district and session judge, Chander Hass, has imposed a fine of Rs 30,000 on the convict and ordered him to face 29 months in simple jail in case of default.

A police spokesperson told the media that the mother of the victim had approached the civil line police station on March 3, 2023, alleging that her daughter went missing from home. She alleged that an accused Pardeep (25) kidnapped her daughter (16).

After receiving her complaint, police started an investigation, recovered the victim girl, and arrested the accused. Police lodged a case against the accused under sections 366, 366A, 376 (2) (n) 506, and POCSO 6. Police probed the matter thoroughly and produced sufficient evidence before the special court, which held him guilty on Tuesday and announced rigorous imprisonment for a period of 10 months.

The court awarded him 20 years of rigorous imprisonment under Section 6 POCSO (whoever commits aggravated penetrative sexual assault shall be punished with rigorous imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than twenty years but which may extend to imprisonment for life, which shall mean imprisonment for the remainder of the natural life of that person and shall also be liable to a fine or death) and five year under section 366 (whoever kidnaps or abducts any woman with intent that she may be compelled, or knowing it to be likely that she will be compelled, to marry any person against her will, or in order that she may be forced or seduced to illicit intercourse, or knowing it to be likely that she will be forced or seduced to illicit intercourse, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to ten years, and shall also be liable to fine).

All the substantive sentences will run concurrently. The period already undergone by the convict during the trial in this case will be set off from sentences awarded to him, reads the order.