Justice Served: 20-Year Sentence for Heinous Crime

A court sentenced a man to 20 years in prison for kidnapping and raping a visually-challenged minor, dismissing poverty as a mitigating factor. The judge emphasized the victim's lifelong trauma, awarding her Rs 10.5 lakh compensation. The sentences will run concurrently with a focus on justice.

In a landmark decision, a court has sentenced a 45-year-old man to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment for the 2018 kidnapping and rape of a 15-year-old visually-challenged girl. The court rejected appeals for leniency based on the convict's poverty.

Presiding over the case, Additional Sessions Judge Rajesh Kumar convicted the man under IPC section 376(3) and the POCSO Act, acknowledging the severe impact on the victim's life. Special Public Prosecutor Nimmi Sisodia argued for the maximum penalty, highlighting the lasting emotional scars on the victim.

Emphasizing that poverty is not a significant mitigating factor, the court also sentenced the man to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment for the kidnapping charge. The sentences are to run concurrently, with the court further ordering a compensation of Rs 10.5 lakh to the victim.

(With inputs from agencies.)