Teenager receives 20 years in prison for raping minors

Employee Reporter

Good Lord,

A special court under the POCSO Act in Durg has sentenced a juvenile to 20 years in prison for raping a 14-year-old minor girl. The accused had taken the girl to a secluded building where he committed the heinous act. Though the defence argued in court that the conflicting evidence made the case suspect, the court held that the charge of rape against the accused was proved beyond reasonable doubt.

The convict, identified as Sonu alias Chotu Bandhe (26), son of Hemlal, is a resident of Labour Colony, Sanjay Nagar, Supela, Bhilai. Special Public Prosecutor Santosh Kasar informed that the incident took place on September 9, 2022, when the victim had gone to a shop to buy chocolates. The accused told the girl that he needed to talk to her and took her to a secluded building behind Lohiya petrol station. He then raped the girl and threatened her of dire consequences if she reported the matter to the police.

In the meantime, the girl’s mother noticed changes in her behaviour and somehow managed to persuade her, following which the girl revealed that she was raped by the accused. The victim’s mother then filed a case against the accused at Supela police station. The accused had pleaded not guilty in court but failed miserably to produce any evidence to support his claim. Based on the examination of witnesses and other evidence presented, the Special Judge under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, Sangeeta Naveen Tiwari, found the accused guilty. He was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment and a fine of Rs 5,000 under Section 4(2) of the POCSO Act.