Hathras POCSO Court delivers fastest rape verdict in just 14 working days

Delivering fastest verdict in record 14 days of hearing in a case relating to rape with a one-and-half-year-old girl, the POCSO Court in Hathras awarded life imprisonment to the accused and imposed a Rs1 lakh fine on Saturday. It is perhaps the fastest verdict in the country by any POCSO Court in sexual assault on a girl.

Of the 23 days from the date of filing the charge-sheet, the Hathras POCSO Court had only 14 working days to hear the case. Earlier, POCSO Court Ghaziabad had awarded death penalty to an accused in rape and murder of a toddler in a record 29 days.

A case against a 36-year-old married man was registered on January 2 at Chandapa police station for sexually assaulting a one-and-half-yearold girl. The accused, Virendra, took the child from her mother on the pretext of taking her out. Her mother got worried when he did not return with the girl. Before they could go out searching, Virendra entered the house and handed over the victim to mother and left the house in a hurry. Her mother noticed her daughter was in semi unconscious state and was profusely bleeding. She lodged an FIR at Chandapa police station.

After the medical examination confirmed the rape, the police arrested Virendra, who confessed to his crime. Infuriated over the criminal act against the toddler, Hathras SP Vineet Jaiswal took special interest in the case to ensure speedy justice to the victim and her family.