Ghaziabad court awards 20-year-jail to man over impregnating minor

A Ghaziabad court sentenced Mohammad Sahul to 20 years for raping a 13-year-old girl multiple times, resulting in pregnancy.

Ghaziabad: A Ghaziabad court has awarded 20 years of rigorous imprisonment to a 30-year-old man for allegedly raping a 13-year-old girl several times in 2018 and 2019 and also impregnating her, the prosecution lawyers said.

The prosecution said the accused often visited the victim’s locality and singled her out for assault. (Representational image)

The girl’s family had lodged an FIR on January 31, 2019, at the Link Road police station.

According to the prosecution case, accused Mohammad Sahul, then aged 24 and a resident of Farrukhnagar, Sahibabad, faced charges under Indian Penal Code section 376(3) (rape of a woman or girl under the age of sixteen years), 506 (criminal intimidation) and also under provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (Pocso).

An FIR was lodged at the Link Road police station by the victim’s sister when on January 29, 2019, the girl complained of health complications, and was later found pregnant. The girl revealed to her family that the accused raped her in September 2018, October 2018, and also in January 2019.

The prosecution said the accused often visited the victim’s locality and singled her out for assault.

“The man, finding the girl alone, raped her by forcing her in a room in her locality in September, 2018 and also on other occasions. He issued threats to her not to reveal the incident to anyone else; he would kill her two brothers. The girl did not tell her family. Later, due to health complications, the girl was taken to a hospital in Delhi, where doctors found her pregnant. Later, medical termination of pregnancy was taken up at the hospital as requested by the girl and her family,” said Utkarsh Vats, special public prosecutor (Pocso).

The prosecution said that the girl in her statements before a magistrate (CrPC 164) and also during her chief examination during the case trial maintained that she faced rape several times and also identified the accused.

“Accused Sahul is found guilty and awarded rigorous imprisonment of 20 years under IPC section 376(3) and directed to pay a fine of ₹50000. In case of non-payment of the fine, he will face two extra months of imprisonment,” said Special Judge (Pocso) Neeraj Gautam in an order issued on December 8.

The court also ordered that the fine of ₹50,000 shall be paid to the victim girl and also directed that the district legal service authority should ascertain suitable compensation for the girl, and it shall be paid from any funds/schemes by the district magistrate within 30 days after ascertainment.