Court awards 20-year RI to Chandigarh resident for raping stepdaughter

When arrested, the accused claimed he was being falsely implicated, as he had objected to his stepdaughter’s relationship with a boy

Over four years after a Burail resident was arrested for raping his minor stepdaughter repeatedly, a fast-track court on Tuesday sentenced him to 20-year rigorous imprisonment.

The court of additional district judge Swati Sehgal also imposed a fine of ₹60,000 on the convict. (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

The court of additional district judge Swati Sehgal also imposed a fine of ₹60,000 on the convict.

As per police, the girl had been living with her stepfather since 2009. She has an elder brother and two stepbrothers. In early 2019, while her mother was pregnant, her stepfather forcibly developed physical relations with her at their house.

When she threatened to tell her mother, he said it would bring shame on her. Therefore, she didn’t disclose the incident to anyone. Thereon, he raped her repeatedly and stopped only when she threatened to inform the police. On November 5, 2020, when she was alone at home, her stepfather offered to take her to a hotel for developing sexual relations. Stunned, she finally approached the police.

On her complaint, a case under Sections 376 (2)(f) (whoever being a relative, guardian or teacher of, or a person in a position of trust or authority towards the woman, commits rape on such woman) and 376 (2)(n) (whoever commits rape repeatedly on the same woman) of the Indian Penal Code, and Section 6 (aggravated penetrative sexual assault) of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act was registered at the Sector-34 police station.

When arrested, the accused claimed he was being falsely implicated, as he had objected to his stepdaughter’s relationship with a boy.

The accused was convicted on Monday and when the quantum of sentence was being pronounced on Tuesday, the accused prayed for leniency, stating that he had no criminal history and had to look after his family. But the court observed that the act of the convict called for stringent punishment and sentenced him to 20-year rigorous imprisonment.