Man gets 20 years prison sentence for raping minor in Phek

Dimapur, June 16 (EMN): A 30-year-old man was sentenced to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment on Thursday for commission of rape and aggravated sexual assault on a minor under Chozuba, in Phek district.

The judgment order stated that the incident was pre-mediated as the accused lured the victim on the pretext of buying eatables and took her in a van to a nearby waterfall. The accused further molested the minor and raped her at the site, following which he gave her INR 100 and threatened her not to communicate the incident with anyone.

The accused had surrendered on September 21, 2021 before Chozuba police station, following a first information report (FIR) filed by the victim’s step father.

The special judge held that “….it was therefore expected from the accused who is a father figure to the victim girl child that she should have been treated with love and care as she is staying in her aunt’s house for study purposes. Instead, the accused committed an unforgivable act of committing rape and aggravated penetrative sexual assault on her”.

The accused was also found guilty for committing sexual assault and sexual harassment upon the girl child victim by outraging here modesty, it said.

The judgement, which was pronounced by Court of Special Judge, Protection of Child from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) Act, Phek Mezivolu T Therieh sentenced the accused Kunungoi Medeo with rigorous imprisonment for 20 years and fine of INR 5000.

In default of payment of fine, the accused would further undergo simple imprisonment for a term of one year. The accused was further sentenced for commission of sexual assault upon the girl child victim by outraging her modesty under Section 354 of the Indian Penal Code to a period of simple imprisonment of one year and a fine of INR 500 or in default of the payment of fine, simple imprisonment of two months.

For commission of sexual harassment upon the girl child victim, the accused was sentenced with simple imprisonment for a term of six months and fine of INR 100 or in default of the payment of fine simple imprisonment of one month.

It said that the jail sentences would run concurrently and out of the total fine amount of INR 5600 deposited by the accused, INR 5000 would immediately be paid to the victim.

In the judgment, the Special Judge, POCSO held that all the evidences lead to only one conclusion that the accused did commit rape and aggravated penetrative sexual assault on the 8-year-old girl child victim who was known to him.

The case was investigated by I0 UBI Lucy Doungel, OC Women PS, Phek and Samuel Ritse, Special Public Prosecutor, POCSO Act, Phek led the prosecution.