Chandigarh, January 16
Sexual assault on minor children is a gross and blatant violation of their fundamental, constitutional and human rights. Such kind of sexual assault is not against an individual, but it is a grave crime against the entire society.
Observing this, Swati Sehgal, Judge, Fast Track Special Court, Chandigarh, sentenced a 28-year-old teacher to undergo 20 years of rigorous imprisonment (RI) for raping a student three years ago. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 30,000 on the convict.
The police had registered the FIR in 2019 on the statement of a minor girl, a Class IX student, who had alleged that she was taking tuition classes from the accused. She had gone for a tuition class when the accused raped her. There was no other student in the class. The victim said the accused threatened her not to disclose the incident to anybody. She was scared and did not disclose the incident to anyone.
It was only when she had a problem that her mother took her to the hospital and the doctor found her pregnant. She then disclosed the entire incident to her parents.
After investigation, the police filed the chargesheet against the accused. Finding prime facie a case, the court framed charges against the accused for the offences punishable under Sections 376-C and 376 (3) of the IPC and Section 6 of the POCSO Act, 2012, to which he pleaded not guilty and claimed trial.
The counsel for the accused argued that he was falsely implicated in the case. On the other hand, the public prosecutor said the prosecution had proved the case beyond any doubt. During the arguments, the convict prayed for leniency on the grounds that his parents were old and suffering from old-age ailments. His entire future was at stake. As soon as he would come out of the jail, he would marry the victim, the accused pleaded.
While rejecting the accused’s plea, the court sentenced the accused to undergo rigorous imprisonment for 20 years and also directed him to pay a fine of Rs 30,000.
