A court in Mathura has handed down a life imprisonment sentence to a 34-year-old man for the brutal rape of a 13-year-old girl with learning difficulties. The special Pocso court delivered the maximum punishment, condemning the heinous nature of the crime against a vulnerable child.
The Night of Horror and Discovery
The traumatic incident unfolded in the early hours of January 19, 2024. The girl's mother woke up around 2 am to find her daughter missing from their home. The family immediately began a frantic search in their neighbourhood.
Their worst fears were confirmed when, at approximately 3:45 am, they spotted the young girl walking back home. She was visibly traumatised, bearing multiple injury marks and bleeding. The parents, recognising the severity of the situation, rushed her to the local police station without delay.
Legal Process and Identification of the Accused
At the police station, the girl's father filed a First Information Report (FIR) against an unknown person. The case was registered under stringent sections of the Indian Penal Code, including IPC 376 (rape) and IPC 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), along with the relevant provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act.
A medical examination conducted subsequently confirmed that the Class 5 student had been raped. The breakthrough in identifying the perpetrator came when the minor, in a statement recorded before a magistrate under Section 164 of the CrPC, named her neighbour as the attacker. She bravely stated that the accused had threatened to kill her if she ever revealed the assault.
Investigation Reveals Criminal Past
Acting on her statement, the police scanned footage from nearby CCTV cameras. The evidence led them to the accused, who was arrested three days after the crime. He has remained in judicial custody since his arrest.
Further investigation into his background uncovered a disturbing criminal history. Police found at least six prior criminal cases registered against him, including charges related to criminal intimidation and rioting.
Court's Verdict and Rehabilitation Order
On Monday, the special Pocso court presided over by Judge Brijesh Kumar-II pronounced the verdict. The court observed that the crime was exceptionally heinous, given the victim's status as a minor with learning difficulties. It stated that the offence warranted the maximum punishment under the law.
In addition to life imprisonment, the court imposed a fine of ₹1.1 lakh on the convict. It directed that the entire amount be paid to the girl's family to aid in her rehabilitation and recovery. The court also specified that failure to pay the fine would result in an additional one year of rigorous imprisonment.
Special Public Prosecutor Rampal Singh presented the case, ensuring the facts of the nocturnal abduction, the violent assault, and the subsequent identification were clearly established before the court, leading to this decisive judgment.
