Jamshedpur: A court in Chaibasa on Friday sentenced a 24-year-old youth to 25 years of rigorous imprisonment (RI) for allegedly raping a minor girl. The incident had taken place in the Keraikela Thana area in West Singhbhum in November 2021.
Besides the rigorous imprisonment, the court under POCSO Act also slapped the guilty a penalty of Rs 10,000. Failing to pay a fine will lead to additional jail terms. The court has convicted the accused identified as Bagun Jonko under Section 376 (A) (B) and 4/6 of the POCSO Act.
According to the prosecution, the minor girl along with her mother had on November 7, 2021, gone to Khairudih village in Keraikela for watching a football match.
While returning home, the victim’s mother felt the pressure of nature’s call. She therefore went over to a bush leaving her minor daughter to wait for her. But in the meantime, the accused who is a resident of Sonua came to the girl and took her along on the pretext of giving her sweets.
On the way, the accused raped the girl. The victim had narrated to her mother what meted out to her, leading her mother to lodge an FIR with the Keraikela thana.