Chandigarh court sentences youth to 30 years’ rigorous imprisonment for sodomy

Ramkrishan Upadhyay

Chandigarh, August 22

Chandigarh Fast-Track Court Special Judge Swati Sehgal on Monday sentenced an Uttar Pradesh resident to 30 years of rigorous imprisonment (RI) for sodomising an eight-year-old boy.

The court also slapped a fine of Rs one lakh on the convict. In default of payment of the fine, the convict would further undergo three years of RI.

The police had registered the case on the complaint of the victim’s mother.

In the complaint, she had told police that when she returned home on August 4, 2020, she found the servant sexually assaulting her son in the servant’s room.

She raised an alarm following which the accused fled from the spot.

After registering a case under Sections 377 of the IPC and 6 of the POCSO Act, the police arrested the accused two days later.

After investigation, the police presented the challan against the accused and the court framed charges against him. However, he pleaded not guilty.

The counsel of the accused argued that he was falsely implicated in the case. He claimed that the victim’s parents did not want to pay him wages. He alleged that the accused was not given salary for six months. He said that when he demanded the salary, the victim’s parents levelled baseless allegations against him.

On the other hand, the public prosecutor said the prosecution had proved the case beyond a shadow of doubt. He said the medical reports and the CFSL reports confirmed that the accused had committed the crime.

After hearing the arguments, the court sentenced the accused to 30 years of RI.

“The victim child of the tender age of eight years was to be taken care of and protected from untoward incidents by the convict. However, the convict liable to act as a protector of the victim child became his predator. The convict not only ruthlessly invaded the body of the victim child but with his heinous and condemnable act has invaded his soul leaving horrifying and painful experiences in his memory. Such a demonic act on the part of the convict calls for stringent punishment,” said the court in the order.

The court, while relying on the child’s statement, said there is neither any reason nor any motive for a child of eight to level false allegations against the accused. His testimony is corroborated by his mother, who is the eyewitness, it said.