Kokrajhar: A Kokrajhar court has sentenced a 35-year-old man to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment for raping a 14-year-old girl, while also imposing a fine of Rs 50,000. The Kokrajhar Sessions Court convicted Ram Kujur in the case and directed him to undergo an additional six months in prison if he fails to pay the fine, according to the prosecution and court proceedings reported by The Assam Rising.
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According to the prosecution, the incident occurred on June 29, 2023, when the accused allegedly found the minor alone at her home and sexually assaulted her. Following the incident, Kokrajhar Sadar Police Station registered a case under Section 376(3) of the Indian Penal Code and Section 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. The matter was subsequently placed before the Kokrajhar Sessions Court for trial. After considering the evidence presented during the proceedings, the court found Kujur guilty and awarded the 20-year prison sentence along with the monetary penalty.
The POCSO Act provides a legal framework for protecting children from sexual offences and prescribes stringent punishment for aggravated forms of sexual assault. The verdict comes amid continuing efforts by courts and law-enforcement agencies in Assam to deal with cases involving sexual offences against children through the special POCSO court system. The court’s order provides for an additional six months of imprisonment in the event of non-payment of the Rs 50,000 fine.
