A seven-year-old girl living in a village close to Vadodara, Gujarat was raped by her cousin. Now, he has received 20 years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of ₹10,000 also has been slapped on him. The court further ordered the govt to pay a compensation of ₹6 lakh to the victim.
The incident occurred on 8th April 2022 when the convict who is her cousin (son of her father’s brother) spotted her after she had gone out to collect Mahua (flowers). He told her that he would take her to another place to gather better flowers. The two covered some distance when he grabbed her hand and lured her by offering chocolates. He then made her lie on the ground and proceeded to sexually violate the minor.
Afterwards, the terrified girl put on her clothes and fled from the place. She reached home and hid under the bed when she was asked about the reason behind her late arrival. However, her mother pulled her out and tenderly inquired what has happened, after which the girl narrated the horrifying ordeal.
Following this, a case was registered at Jawahar Nagar police station and the accused was arrested by the police. The matter was then presented in the court. During the trial, the juvenile and her parents turned hostile. However, the court declared that the statement of the girl under Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) 164 stated the facts against the perpetrator and the medical evidence is also against him along with the FSL proof which supports the case against him.
Special Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) Judge Priyanka Agarwal, after evaluating the arguments and evidence of Public Prosecutor RS Chauhan, found the cousin guilty and sentenced him to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment along with a penalty of Rs 10,000. The court directed the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) to pay the family an amount of Rs 6 lakh from the Victim Compensation Fund under the Victim Compensation Scheme and also asked to oversee that it is used only for the little girl’s benefit.
Gujarat Home Minister also tweeted about the development. He lauded the decision and stated that it has set an example in the society. He informed that the minor would get Rs 6 lakh as compensation and expressed gratitude to the police for their promptness, sensitivity and submission of the charge sheet in just 27 days.
#Justice
— Harsh Sanghavi (@sanghaviharsh) July 3, 2024
◼️A heartfelt thank you to the esteemed court for swiftly delivering justice within two years in the case of a 7-year-old girl from Vadodara, who was lured with chocolate and assaulted by her cousin.
The court sentenced the perpetrator to 20 years of rigorous… pic.twitter.com/YYg1SSPhVz
He further assured that the government is committed to preventing such cases and would not spare people with such a “depraved mindset.”
