New Delhi [India], April 18 (ANI): Delhi's Rohini District Court on Thursday sentenced a security guard to 20 years of imprisonment for kidnapping and raping a minor girl. The convict had also threatened the 12-year-old girl not to disclose the offence committed against her.

In this case, an FIR was lodged at the Bharat Nagar police station in 2021.

Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Sushil Bala Dagar awarded the Convict a 20-year sentence under Section 6 POCSO for the offence of rape. He has been additionally sentenced to 7 years' imprisonment for the offence of kidnapping the minor.

The court has also sentenced him to 2 years' imprisonment for threatening the victim. The court has also imposed a total fine of Rs 35,000 for the three offences. The victim has been granted a compensation of Rs 10.5 lakh for her rehabilitation.

During arguments on the sentence on April 15, the Additional Public Prosecutor (APP) Yogita Kaushik sought maximum punishment. She contended that the convict should be granted maximum punishment so that like-minded persons in society are deterred from committing such heinous and despicable offences.

She submitted that convict has been convicted for the offence under section 363/376/506 IPC and Section 5 (1)(n) POCSO Act punishable under section of 6 POCSO Act committed against the victim who was 12 years and 9 months old child.

The convict kidnapped the victim child from the lawful guardianship of her parents and committed repeated penetrative sexual assault on her. Convict has criminally intimidated the victim child by threatening her to kill the victim, her parents, and to sell her siblings in case she tells about his acts of penetrative sexual assault, APP added.

She submitted that the convict deserves no sympathy for his said abominable and reprehensible act.

On the other hand, the defence counsel prayed for a lenient view in awarding the sentence to the convict. It was submitted that the convict has a wife and a six-year-old son. He also has parents. His wife is a labourer. He has no brothers or sisters, so there is no one to look after and support the family. (ANI)