E-Paper
Five convicted, 1 acquitted in 2022 child trafficking case in Chandigarh
he case dates back to 2022 when the minor had gone missing from her house, prompting her mother to approach the police
A special POCSO court pronounced five persons guilty of pushing a Manimajra minor into prostitution while acquitting one woman in the case.
The case dates back to 2022 when the minor had gone missing from her house, prompting her mother to approach the police. A few days later, the girl was rescued and sent to a shelter home, where she revealed to counsellors that some people living in the neighbourhood had trafficked her.
Based on her statements, six persons, Chanchal Chauhan, Poonam Jain, Suman Dhunna, Raj Rani, Ravinder Singh and Sumitra, were booked under Sections 363/366 (kidnapping), 376 (3) (rape) and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code, Section 6 of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POSCO) Act, and Sections 4, 5 of Immoral Traffic Prevention Act.
On Tuesday, the court acquitted Poonam Jain for lack of evidence.
Advocate Rabindra Pandit, Poonam’s counsel, said: “The witness did not support the prosecution’s case against Poonam. Hence, she was acquitted by the court.”
The quantum of sentence will be pronounced on Wednesday.
