Meghalaya POCSO court awards life term for two men for raping minor girl

A rape case was registered at Mairang Police Station in Meghalaya’s West Khasi Hills district in May 2017

Shillong: Two men have been sentenced to life imprisonment by a special court in West Khasi Hills district of Meghalaya for the sexual assault of a minor girl in 2017.

The court has also ordered the two convicts to pay fines of ₹50,000 each.

Special Judge (POCSO), Nongstoiñ, convicted Mebanlang Warjri and Tony Paul Basaiawmoit on June 25, sentencing both to life imprisonment and ordering them to pay fines of ₹50,000 each. The order was released for publication on Wednesday.

The case was first registered in May 2017 at Mairang Police Station following a complaint that the minor had been sexually assaulted. The investigation was led by WPSI D.P. Nongbri from the Nongstoiñ Women Police Station. Both accused were arrested shortly after the complaint was lodged.

The court held the two guilty under various provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. The judge noted that the evidence presented clearly established their involvement in the crime, calling it “a grave violation of the child’s bodily integrity and dignity.”

This conviction comes at a time when Meghalaya is grappling with a staggering backlog of over 1,700 POCSO cases across the state. With only six special POCSO courts functioning, delays in trials remain a serious concern. According to officials familiar with the matter, many of these cases are stuck due to non-appearance of victims or witnesses, prolonged investigations, or procedural lapses.

A senior police official familiar with the matter said, “This verdict sends a clear message that crimes against children will not be tolerated. But systemic bottlenecks must be addressed if we are to deliver justice swiftly.”