Tuesday, December 25, 2018

Youth convicted of raping 7-month-old, first in Rajasthan under new law

Written by Hamza Khan |Jaipur |Updated: August 20, 2018 1:29:49 pm 

The conviction comes within 70 days of the incident. Special Judge Jagendra Kumar Agarwal, of the SC/ ST Court in Alwar, took 12 hearings over 22 days.

Pintu, 19 year old (Rajasthan)
IN THE first conviction in Rajasthan under the strict provisions of the Criminal Law (Amendment) Ordinance, 2018 — which awards death penalty to those convicted of raping girls under 12 years — a 19-year-old youth has been convicted of raping a seven-month-old girl. The conviction comes within 70 days of the incident. Special Judge Jagendra Kumar Agarwal, of the SC/ ST Court in Alwar, took 12 hearings over 22 days. While the youth was convicted on Wednesday, the court is set to pronounce the sentence Saturday. Rajasthan DGP O P Galhotra confirmed that this is the first conviction in the state under the Criminal Law (Amendment) Ordinance, 2018. The Ordinance was brought in on April 21, in the wake of the outcry over the gangrape and murder of an eight-year-old Bakarwal girl in Kathua (J&K) and the alleged rape of a 17-year-old girl in Unnao (UP).

The Union Cabinet Wednesday approved the Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 2018, to be introduced in the monsoon session of Parliament, which will replace the Ordinance. Under the Bill, the punishment for raping girls under 12 years old is 20 years to life term with fine, or death penalty. The Alwar incident dates back to May 9, when the seven-month-old’s father had, in a complaint to the police, accused the youth, Pintu, of raping the child. He said the baby had been left in the care of a blind relative. “When I returned home in the evening, only my relative was there …She told me that our neighbour, Pintu, had taken my daughter away half-an-hour ago, and hadn’t returned,” he said in the complaint. “The child was found crying in a football field, about a kilometre away from our home. Pintu had raped her and she was bleeding,” he said. 

Pintu was caught within hours, and a case was lodged under IPC Sections 363 (kidnapping), 366A (procuration of minor girl) and relevant sections of the POCSO Act at Laxmangarh police station in Alwar. The child’s medical report confirmed rape, and the accused also confessed to his crime, said officials. The police investigation was completed in 27 days and a challan was filed in the court under IPC Sections 363, 366A, 376AB, 376 (2), as well as sections of the POCSO Act. Section 376AB was introduced in the Ordinance and deals with punishment for rape of child under 12 years. On March 9, the Rajasthan Assembly passed a Bill to provide for death penalty for raping a girl child below 12 years . The Bill is currently pending with Centre.

Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/india/youth-convicted-of-raping-7-month-old-first-in-rajasthan-under-new-law-5266758/ (Accessed 25 December 2018)

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