The Special Judge (POCSO), Fast Track Court Number 1, Manipur on Thursday sentenced a 22-year-old youth to five years and eight months of rigorous imprisonment for penetrative sexual assault on a minor.
The youth, Potshangbam Johnson Meitei, 22, son of P Birendra @ Birendro Meitei of Keishamthong Hodam Leirak, Imphal West district, was convicted under section 6 of POCSO Act, 2012 for the offence of penetrative sexual assault on a child, under Section 4 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012, and sentenced to undergo rigorous imprisonment for a period of seven years.
However, the convict has already undergone custody for a period of one year and four months. So, it is set off under section 428 CrPC and is sentenced to undergo rigorous imprisonment for five years and eight months from November 17, 2022 till July 17, 2028. The court also directed him to pay a fine of Rs 10,000.
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The case was on against the convict after a complaint was filed by the father of the victim who stated that on 9 February, 2019 at around 10 am, the convict kidnapped his minor daughter from Hiyangthang Bazzar when she went to buy some kitchen items and kept her to be his wife without her consent.
During the course of the investigation, the minor girl was rescued and the culprit arrested on February 22, 2019 from Kabinam Village in Maram. It was revealed that the convict and minor girl were in a relationship and had eloped on February 9 and stayed in Kabinam village without disclosing to their parents as the convict was a married man with a wife and a son. The IO of the case, after completion of the investigation, submitted the charge sheet against the convict for the trial.
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On Monday, the court convicted the 22-year-old Potshangbam Johnson under section 4 of POCSO Act for committing sexual assault on minor girl on February 9, 2019.
The court further directed the state government to pay compensation of Rs 1.5 lakh to the victim from the Victim Compensation Fund or other scheme within 30 days.
