Lucknow: A special Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) court in Shamli district has handed down a life sentence, maintaining that it would be “imprisonment till his last breath”, to a man who was found guilty of sexually assaulting his 14-year-old stepdaughter. The court of additional district sessions judge Mumtaz Ali also imposed a fine of Rs 23,000 on the accused.
On August 14, 2023, the minor girl filed a complaint accusing her stepfather of physical assault and sexual harassment, Sanjay Chauhan, the district government counsel (DGC), said.
Subsequently, police registered a case under IPC sections 376(3) (rape of woman under 16 years of age), 354 (assault or use of criminal force on any woman), 323 (causing hurt), and relevant sections of the Pocso Act at the Jhinjhana police station.
Following the survivor’s medical examination and her statement recorded in court, police arrested the accused on August 15.
“The accused has been in jail since his arrest. Despite a last-minute change in the minor girl’s statement due to family pressure during the hearing, the court considered the compelling evidence in delivering the verdict,” Chauhan added.
