Bahraich (UP), Sep 21 (PTI) A court in Bahraich on Monday sentenced a young man to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment in connection with a rape case registered four years ago and also imposed a fine of Rs 54,000 on him.
Special District Government Counsel (POCSO) Sant Pratap Singh said that the convict was around 16 years of age at the time of the incident.
He added that under the provisions of the Juvenile Justice Act, he could not be sentenced to life imprisonment or the death penalty.
Singh said that the rape survivor’s family had lodged a complaint at the Dargah Shareef police station in Bahraich district on June 22, 2022. The victim alleged that a juvenile offender living in her neighbourhood had raped her and threatened to kill her if she told anyone.
The incident came to light later when the victim became pregnant. A medical examination revealed she was approximately seven months pregnant.
The court considered the prosecution’s evidence, including the DNA test, to be significant. The DNA test established the juvenile delinquent as the biological father of the child.
Additional District Judge (POCSO) Bahraich Arbind Kumar Gautam on Monday held the juvenile delinquent guilty and sentenced him to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment, the special district government counsel (POCSO) said, and added that the court imposed a fine of Rs 54,000 on him.
Singh said that according to the verdict, the juvenile offender was 20 years, two months and 27 days old at the time of conviction. The court has directed that he be kept at the ‘Government Place of Safety’ in Ghazipur until he attains the age of 21.
Singh explained that the ‘Government Place of Safety’ in Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh, is a special facility established by the government for convicted or alleged juvenile offenders under the age of 21. Juvenile offenders receive counselling and psychological support at this facility while serving the sentence imposed by the court.
Upon completing 21 years of age, the offender is transferred to the district jail. PTI COR NAV KSS KSS
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.