Chandigarh: Youth awarded 10-year RI for sodomising 6-year-old boy

The youth was convicted under Section 377 (unnatural offences) of the Indian Penal Code and Section 6 (aggravated penetrative sexual assault) of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act

Nearly four years after a teenager sodomised his six-year-old neighbour at his house, a fast-track court has sentenced him to 10-year rigorous imprisonment.

The case was registered on the complaint of the child’s maternal grandmother, who works as a domestic maid and resides with her family in Chandigarh. (Getty Images)

The convict, who is 20 years old now, was also fined ₹10,000.

He was convicted under Section 377 (unnatural offences) of the Indian Penal Code and Section 6 (aggravated penetrative sexual assault) of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act.

The case was registered on the complaint of the child’s maternal grandmother, who works as a domestic maid and resides with her family in Chandigarh.

She had submitted that she had left her grandchildren home in the care of her husband while heading out for work on July 13, 2019.

When she returned, her husband was not home and their teenaged neighbour was playing with her six-year-old grandson in one of the four rooms of her house. After some time, she heard the screams of her grandson.

As she rushed to his room, she found their neighbour sodomising her grandson. She raised the alarm, but the accused managed to flee.

The defence counsel argued that there were material contradictions in testimony of the complainant and the minor’s mother had not been examined.

To this, the court stated that in cases of sexual offence, the sole testimony of the victim, if found to be convincing, was sufficient to hold the offender guilty of commission of sexual offence. Therefore, the court sent the CCL to observation home.