New Delhi: A Delhi court sentenced a man to nine years in jail for kidnapping and sexually assaulting a minor, observing that he had been given repeated opportunities by both families to “mend his ways and improve his conduct”, but failed to do so.
The court highlighted that the girl was around 14-15 years old while the accused was 32-33 years old. Despite the warnings, he took her to his house on Jan 23, threatened and sexually assaulted her. The court also directed the DLSA to issue compensation of Rs 10.5 lakh to the victim, taking into account the mental and physical trauma she had suffered.
“Not only was the accused warned, but the child victim was also asked to maintain distance from the accused by the family members of the accused, including his mother, wife and brother-in-law and also by the family members of the child victim,” the court said. It said this showed her family had “no ill will towards the accused” and only wanted him to remain away from their minor daughter, who was pursuing her 10th class. He was “more than twice the age of the child victim” and married. The court said the DNA report, along with the girl’s MLC and testimony, clearly established the sexual assault and observed that there was nothing on record to even prima facie suggest that the child victim was deposing falsely.
Additional sessions judge Rohit Gulia noted that the convict and the child victim had both been warned to stay away from each other. The court noted that the accused was even allowed to continue at the same workplace, located under the house where the girl lived.
Because the relationship was consensual, the court rejected this argument becasue the girl was a minor, although the defence claimed that there was no assault, and the man was falsely implicated.