Ambala, September 16
The court of Aarti Singh, Additional Sessions Judge, sentenced a man to rigorous imprisonment (RI) for 12 years for committing penetrative sexual assault on a minor girl. The court also awarded one-year RI to the convict’s wife for causing hurt to the victim.
The fast track court held Vijay of Ambala guilty under Section 4 of the POCSO Act and Section 323 of the IPC. His wife Mamta has been convicted under Section 323 of the IPC.
The incident dates back to 2017 when the victim attempted to end her life by jumping before a train. She lost her legs in the incident.
In her statement, she stated that she had come in contact with Vijay who told her that he would marry her and leave his wife. On September 11, 2017, the girl reached the house of Vijay’s aunt where Vijay and his wife Mamta thrashed her. Feeling humiliated, the girl jumped before a moving train.
The couple, in their statements, said they were having a son studying in class VIII and an aged mother to look after. Their counsel asked the court to take a lenient view.
Public prosecutor Surjit Singh submitted that Vijay committed penetrative sexual assault on the prosecutrix and he, along with his wife, later thrashed and humiliated her. She attempted to commit suicide and lost her legs. The heinous act committed by the accused did not deserve leniency and be awarded maximum punishment, the public prosecutor said.
The court observed that the victim was aged around 17 when she was sexually assaulted. Vijay’s act caused serious psychological as well as physical harm to her and adversely affected her future. Vijay took undue advantage of the trust the minor girl had in him, the court observed.
The court sentenced Vijay to 12-year RI and imposed a fine of Rs 25,000 on him under the POCSO Act, and RI for a period of one year under Section 323 of the IPC. Both sentences would run concurrently. The other convict, Mamta, was sentenced to RI of one year under Section 323 of the IPC. The court also awarded a compensation of Rs 4 lakh to the victim.
