Rape of 10-year-old: Convicted uncles sentenced to life in prison till death

Both maternal uncles at the District Courts in Chandigarh on Thursday. (Express Photo)

Two uncles, convicted of raping their niece, were sentenced to imprisonment for life till death by the sessions court in Chandigarh on Thursday. On Tuesday, the uncles were declared guilty of raping their niece, a 10-year-old girl. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 3,05,000 each on both. According to the ruling, the convicts will give Rs 3 lakh each to the rape victim as compensation and Rs 5,000 each to the state. The order was pronounced by the court of Additional District and Sessions Judge, Poonam R Joshi.

During the final arguments on the quantum of sentence, the court asked both convicts if they wanted to say anything. But, the duo remained mum.

The prosecution argued in favour of life imprisonment for the convicts as they had spoiled the life of the victim while the defence counsel pleaded with the court to be lenient in sentencing. However, after hearing the arguments, the court sentenced the two uncles to imprisonment for life till death.

Both convicts are brothers and one of them had fathered the girl’s child as his DNA matched with that of the newborn baby delivered by the 10-year-old rape victim.

Convict has committed heinous, sinful and immoral act: Court

The court, while pronouncing the order, stated that the small child was not only raped but also made to give birth to a small child, who, too, has been left alone in the cruel world.

The court also said that a child, who suffers such depravity, is bound to carry the scars for her entire life. The convict has committed a heinous, sinful and immoral act. The offence committed by the accused does not call for any leniency. Rather the gravity of the offence calls for severe punishment so that it acts as deterrent to others, who try to threaten the fabric of society, its peace and tranquillity, said the court order.

The court also mentioned in the order that the victim does not remember the date or month when the accused first raped her. However, she said that the uncle used to come daily to their house in the absence of her parents and sister and rape her.

I will die in jail now, my life is over: Younger convict

While the wife of the younger convict waited outside the courtroom, she asked a lawyer to tell her husband (younger convict) to take his medicine for diabetes. However, the younger uncle said, “What will I do taking medicine for diabetes. I will die like this only now in jail, my life is over.”

When told by a policeman that he would be given medicine for his disease in jail, too, he said, “I will not tell anyone in jail that I have diabetes and I will just die.”

Speaking to Chandigarh Newsline earlier, he admitted to committing a mistake and “now I am getting punished for it”.

I miss my children today: Elder convict

The elder convict uncle, whose family members did not appear in court even once in the past three months to meet him, said, “I miss my children today. I wish I could meet them.”

The elder convict’s family lives in Nepal and he has two daughters and a son.

“I have been falsely implicated in the case. My younger brother (convict) who has told me everything till date, never disclosed anything about sexually harassing the victim girl,” he said.

‘Left alone with my 11-year-old son’

The wife of the younger convict, who was in the court till late Thursday evening, said, “Me and my 11-year-old son are now alone. I don’t know how we will be able to survive as only my husband was the breadwinner but now we both don’t know how we will survive.”

But, will she appeal in the high court? “I don’t know. I am very upset and will talk about this only with our counsel,” she replied.