Chandigarh man who sodomised 6-yr-old boy jailed for 20 years
The child’s father, who works in a factory, had found him missing after returning home for lunch on April 14, 2022; on searching, he had found Anil sodomising his son and confronted him, but the latter threatened him of dire consequences, following which police were alerted
Observing that penetrative sexual assault not only traumatises minor victims but also creates fear among the children around them, a fast-track special POCSO court has awarded 20-year rigorous imprisonment to a 29-year-old man for sodomising a six-year-old boy in 2022.
“The convict had shown his wicked and evil mind by subjecting a child of tender age of six years to penetrative sexual assault and sexually abused the child several times. He is liable to be punished sternly, ” said the court, while also imposing a fine of ₹45,000 on the convict, Anil, alias Kancha, who lives in a slum in Chandigarh.
He was convicted under Sections 377 (unnatural offences), 342 (wrongful confinement), 363 (kidnapping) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), and Sections 6 and 10 of the POCSO Act.
The child’s father, who works in a factory, had found him missing after returning home for lunch on April 14, 2022. On searching, he had found Anil sodomising his son and confronted him, but the latter threatened him of dire consequences, following which police were alerted.
During trial, Anil claimed false implication, and submitted that he was poor and had parents to look after.
Whereas special public prosecutor Ritu Jain argued that non-awarding of appropriate punishment commensurate with degree of crime may undermine the public confidence in the efficacy of law.
Hearing both sides, judge Swati Sehgal observed, “Children belonging to any strata of society are certainly the future of the country, and they are to be not only groomed and nourished but also required to be protected for the sake of the bright future of our country.”
The court observed, “It is high time that such incidents need to be curbed so as to serve as a deterrent for the people of evil and criminal bent of mind, and also instil a sense of security in the mind of children and their families.”
It added that children were blooming buds and had every right to bloom into a flower and whosoever will make an attempt to pluck or cause any harm to them shall have to face the wrath of criminal justice.
The court has also recommended the victim’s case for ₹4-lakh compensation by the District Legal Services Authority, Chandigarh, under the Victim Compensation Scheme.
