Man gets 10 years for raping minor

A city court sentenced a man to 10 years' rigorous imprisonment for raping a four-year-old girl in 2009. Lending credence to the victim's statement, the court rejected the defence counsel plea that her testimony needed corroboration.

A city court sentenced a man to 10 years' rigorous imprisonment for raping a four-year-old girl in 2009.

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Lending credence to the victim's statement, the court rejected the defence counsel plea that her testimony needed corroboration.

The judge said, "A gruesome act was committed by the convict by which he had not only defiled the body of the prosecutrix (girl) but also put an indelible mark on her person which shall haunt her throughout her life that she is a rape victim. The convict does not deserve any leniency."

The convict, Rajinder Kumar, had raped the girl at his home in northeast Delhi in June 2009 when she was playing outside her residence.

"Her testimony is trustworthy, consistent and inspires confidence and in view of judicial pronouncements, it becomes clear that her testimony does not require corroboration," the court said.

Justifying not awarding life imprisonment, the court considered the fact that Kumar has to maintain his wife and two minor children. Kumar alleged that he was being framed since he was the only person of his caste living in that locality as a tenant and that the others wanted him out.

The court also imposed a fine of Rs 5,000 on Kumar.