Stepfather gets 20-yr jail for raping minor

The Court of Additional Sessions Judge, Amarjeet Singh, has sentenced Devraj of Quality Chowk, Shimlapuri, under the POCSO Act to 20 years of imprisonment for raping his 14-year-old stepdaughter.

It also imposed a fine of 1.20 lakh on the convict. The court made it clear that out of the fine, Rs 1 lakh would be paid to the victim as compensation.

As per the prosecution, the case was registered on a complaint filed by the victim’s mother on September 29, 2023, at the Shimlapuri police station. The complainant told the court that she got married with the convict about 10 years ago, after divorcing her first husband due to his abusive behaviour towards her and their children.

She said her second husband initially behaved well but later began to harbour ill-intentions towards her minor daughter.

She testified that her daughter informed her about frequent incidents of molestation by her stepfather, culminating in the accused forcibly establishing physical relations with her. Following the complaint, the police conducted a medical examination of the minor, which confirmed the sexual assault.

The accused was subsequently arrested.