The court noted that the victim’s educational records established her age to be a minor. (Representative image)
LUCKNOW: A special POCSO court in Bahraich on Monday sentenced a 16-year-old convict, who was a minor at the time of the offence, to 20 years’ rigorous imprisonment for raping a 15-year-old girl and causing her to become pregnant. The survivor’s brother registered an FIR at Dargah Sharif police station on June 22, 2022, under Sections 376 (rape), 120-B and 506 of the IPC. The convict was arrested on June 24, 2022, and sent to jail.
Later, the survivor’s medical and supplementary medical reports were examined, and her statement was recorded before a magistrate.
She was present on June 22, 2022, when the survivor was medically examined at the District Women’s Hospital in Bahraich. Medical examination also found her to be around seven months pregnant, while an ultrasound showed a live pregnancy of 28 weeks and four days. (The victim’s identity has not been revealed to protect her privacy as per Supreme court directives on cases related to sexual assault) Dr Anuradha Mishra, a medical officer at CHC Risiya, was a medical witness. The court noted that the survivor’s educational records established that she was a minor.
Her testimony formed part of the prosecution evidence presented before the court.
Special Judge (POCSO Act) Arbind Kumar Gautam convicted the accused under Section 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 50,000, with an additional one-year imprisonment in case of non-payment.