Staff Reporter
YUPIA, 17 Dec: The sessions court here in Papum Pare district recently sentenced an accused, identified as Prakash Topno, to life imprisonment for raping a three-year-old child in 2013.
Pronouncing the judgment, Sessions Court Judge Jaweplu Chai said: “Having gone through the entire facts and circumstances, hearing the learned counsels and the convict on the question of sentence, and taking into consideration the mitigating factors and also the fact that the convict has committed rape on a minor girl of 3 years, this court hereby sentences the convict A-1 (Topno) to undergo imprisonment for life and to pay a fine of Rs 5,000.”
The judge further said that, “in default of payment of fine,” the convict has to undergo further simple imprisonment of six months for the offence punishable under Section 376 (2) (i) of the IPC.”
“This court is satisfied and finds that the sentence of imprisonment to the convict is just, fair and adequate in the interest of justice. The aforesaid amount, if paid by the convict, is to be paid to the victim as compensation amount,” the judge added.
“It is further ordered that the period of detention undergone by the convict during investigation and trail to be set off against the sentence of imprisonment as provided under Section 428 of the CrPC,” she ruled.
“The convict is informed that he has the right to appeal to the Gauhati High Court against this judgment and order through jail authority or independent on his own,” Chai said in her pronouncement order.
It is learnt that a complaint was received from the victim’s father, alleging that the accused had raped his daughter on 15 August, 2013, at his residential compound in Leporiang in Papum Pare district. On receiving the complaint, the then SI Bumchu Krong, the officer-in-charge of the Sagalee police station, registered a case [u/a 3762 (h) of the IPC] at the Sagalee police station, and himself took up the case for investigation.
On 30 August, 2013, the case was handed over to SI T Kochung for further investigation. After completion of investigation, Kochung prepared the chargesheet against Topno under Section 3762 (h) of the IPC on 20 November, 2013.
