Manipur man sentenced to 20 years in jail for raping 4-year-old in 2017

The judge said sexual assault destroys not only the physical being of a child but her spirit, innocence, and dignity as well

IMPHAL: A 54-year-old man who raped a four-year-old girl in 2017 was sentenced to 20 years in jail by a fast track court in Manipur on Friday.

The man was convicted for aggravated sexual assault under Pocso (Getty Images/Vetta)

The convict, a resident of Imphal East, has also been ordered to pay a ₹1 lakh fine.

“Rape and sexual assault destroy not only the physical being of a child but her spirit, innocence, and dignity. The judiciary must stand as the guardian of that innocence,” judge W. Tonen Meitei said in his order, delivered two days after he convicted Thounaojam Tejkumar Singh, under Section 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012, which relates to aggravated penetrative sexual assault.

Judge Tonen said the sexual assault was “a crime against humanity,” stressing that “a child of four years was violated by one who was supposed to protect her.”

The court dismissed the defence’s claim that Tejkumar Singh was falsely implicated in the case due to family disputes, holding that “minor procedural lapses cannot erase the powerful truth of a child’s voice.”

A medical examination at the Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Science (JNIMS) hospital and later at Regional Institute of Medical Science (RIMS) Hospital, confirmed injuries consistent with sexual assault. Following a complaint by the girl’s father at the Women Police Station, Imphal East, Tejkumar Singh was arrested the following day.

During the trial, the prosecution examined 11 witnesses, including the victim, her parents, medical experts, and the investigating officer. The girl, who testified before the court when she was seven, identified the rapist in court. Her statement remained unchallenged as the defence did not cross-examine her.