Editor Mr.Mayank Rawat ( Chief Editor Mr. Rohit Mishra )
New Delhi: A court sentenced a 46-year-old man to imprisonment for the remainder of his life, observing that the convict, who repeatedly raped a 16-year-old girl, did not deserve any leniency.The court of additional sessions judge Rajesh Kumar stated that despite being in a position similar to a parent, the man exploited the trust to satisfy his depraved gratification, and the trauma and agony suffered by the girl could not be ignored.The court was hearing the case against a man who repeatedly raped the girl in 2016, who later gave birth to a boy. He was convicted for rape and underProtection of Children from Sexual Offences Act for committing aggravated penetrative sexual assault. Noting that the girl expired a few years after the incident, the judge awarded Rs 16.5 lakh as compensation to her mother. Special public prosecutor Ashish Kajal submitted that a deterrent punishment should be awarded as the convict, Rajeev, was in the noble teaching profession. The judge said the convict, “despite being a school teacher, repeatedly committed rape/aggravated penetrative sexual assault upon the victim in the school”.It appeared that passion/lust overpowered him to such an extent that he committed the offence upon the girl, he added. “The fact that the accused was in a position of loco parentis (like parents) to the victim, and exploited that trust for his own depraved gratification, is a severely aggravating factor.”Taking note of the trauma inflicted upon the survivor, the court observed, “The tender age of the victim and the long-lasting trauma she was likely to suffer as a result of this abhorrent act cannot be understated.” The judge rejected the leniency plea of the convict, citing that aggravating circumstances in the case outweighed the mitigating circumstances.”Keeping in view the paramount need to protect the children from sexual offences, the gravity of the offence, the vulnerability of the victim, the need to uphold the principles of justice, and to send a strong message to society, this court is of the considered opinion that this is a fit case for awarding the stringent sentence,” the judge said, sentencing him to life imprisonment for the rest of his life.
Mayank Rawat
