Rajasthan man gets life term for raping minor, Rs 22 lakh penalty imposed

KOTA: A special court in Rajasthan's Bundi district on Friday sentenced a 25-year-old man to life imprisonment for raping a Dalit girl and circulating the video of the crime on social media.

Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) court-I judge Sabir Badar also imposed a fine of Rs 22 lakh on Sajjan Singh alias Debu Singh after holding him guilty of raping the 15-year-old girl in March 2020 in a village under Basoli police station in Bundi district, Public Prosecutor Rakesh Thakur said.

Based on the minor's complaint, the police had lodged a case under sections of the Indian Penal Code, POCSO Act, IT Act and under sections of SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act against Singh on March 12, 2020.

He was arrested after initial investigation and has been in jail under judicial custody since then, the public prosecutor said.

For speedy trial, the police included the case under case officer scheme and filed the charge sheet against Singh on May 26, 2020, he said.

Statements of at least 19 witnesses were recorded during the trial and 41 documents were submitted to the court, Thakur said.

"It is the ninth conviction in case under the case officer scheme this year and the police are committed to bringing those accused of atrocities and crimes against girls and women to book for punishment through speedy trial," Bundi SP Jai Yadav said.