Chandigarh court awards life imprisonment to man who raped his teen stepdaughter

34-year-old man had made his wife listen to the screams of her 13-year-old daughter on phone while raping her in 2018

Terming the accused “mentally sick” who doesn’t deserve to live in a civilised society, a fast-track court on Saturday awarded life imprisonment till death to an Uttar Pradesh native who raped his 13-year-old stepdaughter in 2018.

“The accused repeatedly ravished a girl to whom he was duty bound to play the role of her father and influenced her to an extent that she never uttered the truth before any authority,” remarked the court. (HT)

“The accused repeatedly ravished a girl to whom he was duty bound to play the role of her father and influenced her to an extent that she never uttered the truth before any authority,” remarked the court of additional district judge Swati Sehgal, while also imposing a fine of ₹50,000 on the 34-year-old convict.

On Thursday, the same court had held the man guilty under Section 376 (3) (committing rape on a woman under 16 years) of the Indian Penal Code and Section 6 (aggravated penetrative sexual assault) of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

The accused was booked on April 13, 2019, on the complaint of the child’s mother.

The court of additional district judge Swati Sehgal also imposed a fine of ₹50,000 on the 34-year-old convict. (HT)

While they initially lived in Uttar Pradesh, they moved to Chandigarh after four months of marriage. She said she was against having more children, but the accused would keep pressuring her. Later, he started assaulting her and her children, and would also make advances at her daughter.

One day in 2018, when she returned home from work, she found the door bolted from inside. On forcing entry, she found her husband sexually assaulting her daughter.

The next day, he took her daughter to his native place without informing her and also refused to return her custody. The woman further alleged that on November 6, 2018, he called her up while raping her daughter to make her hear her screams. She recorded the phone call and informed the police on November 11, 2018. She filed another complaint at the public window on December 12, 2018, and an FIR for kidnapping and rape was finally registered on April 13, 2019.

Child remained mum against stepfather

During trial, the child did not say a word against her stepfather. This point was used by the defence counsel to buttress his innocence.

However, the court observed, “The edifice of the prosecution’s story rests on the complainant whose version before the police and court is consistent. Her testimony is supported by documentary, medical and electronic evidence.”

“Also, the CFSL report in itself speaks volumes of the sexual exploitation of minor victim by the hands of the accused. Thus, defence counsel’s plea of false implication is bereft of merit,” the court held.