The Protection of Children from Sexual Offence Act (POCSO) court on Thursday sentenced a monk of the Royal Thai monastery in Bodh Gaya to 10 years’ rigorous imprisonment for committing unnatural sexual act with a minor. The court also fined him ₹20,000.
Judge Ashutosh Kumar Upadhyay ordered the district administration to give ₹2 lakh to the victim.
According to special prosecutor Quashar Sarfuddin, Fra Siri Chayi was arrested on the charge of unnatural sexual assault of a 14 years old disciple on June 10, 2015.
As per the complaint, the monk had called the teenager on the pretext of giving massage to his aching body. Once inside the monk’s chamber, the victim was allegedly subjected to unnatural anal sex, a punishable offence under section 377 of the Indian Penal code.
The defence counsel pleaded that the accused had been falsely implicated in the case and that the witnesses were influenced.
On the other hand, the special prosecutor argued that the prosecution had successfully proved its case, and since the accused had been involved in an unnatural sexual act, he should be given severe punishment.