A court here has sentenced a man to rigorous imprisonment of 20 years for repeatedly raping and having unnatural sex with his 13-year-old daughter, saying that the victim was going through a never ending ordeal, where years after the crime, she feared that if her father were sentenced, she would be blamed by society.
Expressing abject disappointment, Additional Sessions Judge Anu Aggarwal, in an order dated May 28, said the girl was subjected to the most heinous crime within the four walls of her home by her father, to whom she had bestowed her utmost trust.
On May 19, the court had convicted the man under the POCSO provisions for committing aggravated penetrative sexual assault and under the penal provisions for rape, unnatural offences and criminal intimidation.
During the arguments on the quantum of sentence, Additional Public Prosecutor Arun K V said the convict deserved no leniency for the horrific crime, where he raped his daughter for over 20 days.
The court said, “For a child, home is a space that gives him a sense of security, love and affection; a place where the child is nurtured, and is the most relaxing place for a child. The relationship between father and daughter is such that under the father’s shadow, the daughter feels safe and secure.”
It said that, however, at times, a children’s most cherished place became a place where they were “subjected to the most heinous crime” and in the present case, the girl was raped by “a person, on whom she bestowed her utmost trust.”
“After hearing the victim, it seems that this ordeal is never-ending for her. She was subjected to the most heinous offence and was not only raped but was also subjected to unnatural sexual assault. However, even after passing of seven years, the victim is still afraid that if her father is sentenced to jail, she will be blamed by everyone in society,” the court said.
It then sentenced the convict to 20 years rigorous imprisonment under Section 6 (aggravated penetrative sexual assault) of the POCSO Act.
The court also awarded ₹16 lakh compensation to the victim.
The case came to light on June 30, 2018, after the victim narrated the crime to a neighbour, who then informed police.
Upon investigation, the police visited the victim’s residence, where the minor girl recounted her ordeal. At the time, the girl, aged 14, was studying at a madrasa in Lucknow.
During her summer vacation in June 2018, her father brought her to the national capital. Initially, they stayed at her paternal aunt’s house, following which he rented a separate room, where the crime was committed.