Ghaziabad: A special court on Monday sentenced a man to life imprisonment for raping an 11-year-old girl, who called him uncle, while she was alone at her home in Tronica City five years ago. The court also found the accused guilty of issuing death threats and imposed a fine of Rs 1.2 lakh on him, half of which will be given to the girl.
Special judge (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act) Mahendra Srivastava found the accused guilty under Pocso Act and under IPC sections 376 (rape) and 506 (criminal intimidation).
Special public prosecutor (Pocso Act), Utkarsh Vats said, “The accused and the girl lived in neighbourhood and the girl’s mother considered him her brother. An FIR was lodged against him on September 15, 2016 with the Tronica City police station by the girl’s father.”
He added that the incident came to light after the girl’s mother noticed bleeding from her private parts. “The girl told her mother that the accused had come in the afternoon of September 12 and raped her after finding her alone. He had also threatened to kill the minor and her family if they complained to the police. Based on the complaint, an FIR was filed under IPC sections 376 and 506 and sections of the Pocso Act. Manoj was arrested and sent to Dasna Jail,” Vats said, adding that altogether seven witnesses were examined in the case.
The judge observed, “The accused is a resident of the same village as the minor’s mother, due to which she considered him her brother and the survivor called him uncle. Due to this relationship, the accused had access to the girl’s house. The accused has tarnished the dignity of the relation by committing the crime.” The accused was awarded life imprisonment and a fine of Rs 1 lakh under Section 376 (2) (i) of IPC. He has also been sentenced to five years in jail and a fine of Rs 25,000 was imposed on him under IPC Section 506. Both sentences will run concurrently.