A Bhabua court for Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act sentenced an accused in the gangrape of a minor girl to 25 years of rigorous imprisonment (RI). The special court of district and additional sessions judge Pramod Kumar Pandey also slapped ₹50,000 fine and an additional six months’ RI if the accused failed to deposit the amount, additional public prosecutor (APP) Shashi Bhushan Pandey said.
The incident occurred at Mandariya village under Chand police station area of Kaimur district at 7pm on November 1, 2019. The victim had gone to take drinking water from a government pump when the accused co-villager Abhishek Chauhan and his associates forcibly lifted the girl and took her on a hill. They raped the girl and assaulted her uncle who had gone to rescue the victim.
A case was registered against the accused with the Woman police station at Bhabua next day. Police submitted a charge-sheet under section 376 (D) of Indian Penal Code and recommended for speedy trial of the case.
The prosecution produced 12 witnesses and scientific evidence to prove the case in the special court, APP Pandey said.