Man sentenced to 20-year RI for raping stepdaughter

A fast track special court, Chandigarh, has sentenced a person to undergo 20 years of rigorous imprisonment in a case registered against him for raping his minor stepdaughter. The court has also imposed a fine of Rs 51,000 on the convict.

The case was registered on May 11, 2022, on the complaint of the mother of the victim.

She said the accused, who is also her second husband, raped her 11-year-old daughter born from her first marriage. She said that she was working in a pharmaceutical company in Industrial Area here. She said she used to leave her children with her sister as her second husband was working in a hotel. One day her sister told her that her daughter had disclosed that her step-father was committing some ‘wrong act’ with her.

During investigation, the accused was arrested and his medical examination was conducted. After completion of the investigation, a charge-sheet was filed against him. Raman Sihag appeared as counsel of the victim.

After hearing the arguments, the court sentenced the accused to undergo 20 years of rigorous imprisonment. The court also recommended the District Legal Service Authority to release Rs 4 lakh as compensation to the victim.

The court observed that when children were subjected to sexual assault, it not only created fear and trauma in the mind of the victim child, but also among other children around him or her. It said that it was high time that such incidents needed to be curbed to serve as a deterrent for other people with similar mindset.