A 27-year-old man from Tripura has been sentenced to five years of rigorous imprisonment and fined Rs 2,000 for raping a seven-year-old girl. The verdict was handed down by Belonia District and Sessions Judge Govinda Das, who also serves as a Special POCSO Act Judge, on Monday.
The incident took place on January 24, 2024, between 3:30 PM and 4:00 PM in Belonia. The perpetrator, Akash Nayak Bhil, lured the young girl to his mud house under the guise of showing her a mobile phone and then proceeded to assault her. The victim bravely reported the crime to her father, who wasted no time in filing a complaint at the Belonia Women’s Police Station. The case was then registered under IPC Sections 354(b), 376(a/b), and POCSO Act Sections 6/8.
Inspector Swapna Bhowmik took charge of the investigation and compiled a charge sheet with 13 witnesses. Following the examination of 12 testimonies, the court found Bhil guilty under POCSO Act Section 10. Special Public Prosecutor Prabhat Chandra Dutta represented the state throughout the trial.
This case serves as a stark reminder of the importance of safeguarding our children and ensuring that justice is served in cases of sexual assault. The court’s decision to hand down a strict sentence to the perpetrator sends a strong message that such heinous crimes will not be tolerated in society.
