E-Paper
Odisha judge gives 20 yrs jail to man accused of raping minor, now his wife
The judge declined to let the change in status influence his ruling, underlining that when the offences are against a child, they are not against a particular child but against the whole society in general
A 25-year-old man, who last year married the girl he was accused of raping when she was a minor, was on Monday sentenced to 20 years by a fast-track court in Odisha’s Angul district.
The man was arrested for sexual assault under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act on a complaint by the orphan girl’s uncle in January 2021. He contested the charge, claiming that he and the girl had been in a relationship since 2016 and the rape charge was slapped on him because he was reluctant to marry her.
In July last year, the man eventually married her after she turned 18 when he was released on bail.
The judge, however, declined to let the change in status influence his ruling, underlining that when the offences are against a child, they are not against a particular child but against the whole society in general.
“Such offences violate the integrity of womanhood and leave an indelible mark on the mind of the child. The law is very stringent and in such cases there should not be any clemency,” the judge said.
His lawyer Susanta Sekhar Mohapatra said the girl’s deposition during the man’s arrest proved to be the clinching evidence that led to his conviction.
However, he claimed that after the sentence was pronounced, the girl broke down and told the lawyer that she did not expect that her statement would result in 20 years of imprisonment for her husband.
The lawyer said he would appeal against the order before the Orissa high court.
The court has also asked the convict to pay a fine of ₹10,000.
