Agra: A special Pocso court in Mainpuri has sentenced a man to seven years’ rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 1.65 lakh for sexually assaulting an 11-year-old girl in 2025. Special judge Jahendra Pal Singh held the man guilty under BNS sections 109(1) (attempt to murder), 74 (assault or use of criminal force to a woman with intent to outrage her modesty) and 351(3) (criminal intimidation involving threats of death or grievous hurt), along with relevant sections of the Pocso Act .
The incident took place on the evening of Feb 3, 2025, when the girl was standing outside her house, according to court records. The convict, who was her neighbour, approached her, grabbed her hand and dragged her before strangling her. When she tried to raise an alarm, he covered her mouth and assaulted her.
On Sept 19, the court pronounced the judgement. It further observed that she had suffered immense mental and physical trauma and recommended that District Legal Services Authority, Mainpuri, grant appropriate compensation to her under section 357 of the CrPC (now BNSS). During the trial, the prosecution relied on the testimony of the survivor, who identified the convict, along with the statements of other witnesses and documentary evidence. In case of non-payment of the fine, the convict will undergo an additional one year’s imprisonment. The court also took note of the girl’s tragic socio-economic background, observing that her father was deceased, her mother had abandoned her and she was currently living with her grandparents.