Man gets 10 years in jail for raping minor in 2010

A Delhi court has sentenced a 26-year-old man to 10 years in jail for raping a minor in north east Delhi in 2010.

The court said that it has been proved that the accused Sonu, a resident of Bulandshahar in Uttar Pradesh, had taken his minor neighbour, a 10-year-old girl, to his room and sexually assaulted her in June 2014. The court noted that he had committed a similar act with her previously.

The court rejected the plea of the accused that the girl’s mother had borrowed some money from him and when he asked her to repay, she implicated him in the case.

The court said that the girl was the main witness whose version was corroborated by her family members. It said though the girl was 10 years old at the time of the incident, she had coherently deposed about the incident and supported her version given to the police and the magistrate.

“No parent of a young daughter can stoop so low so as to bring defame, dishonour and put her to disrespect with such serious allegations. Hence, this defence cannot be accepted or even believed,” the court said.

According to the prosecution, the incident took place when the girl was sleeping along with her family in an open area of her house in north east Delhi. Sonu allegedly woke her up and asked her to accompany him to his room. When she refused, he gagged her, took her to his room and raped her. Police was informed after the girl’s mother and brother heard her screams, and found her in Sonu’s room.