Shillong: A special court in Shillong has sentenced a man to five years of rigorous imprisonment for molesting a minor girl more than a decade ago, bringing closure to an 11-year-old case that had been pending since 2013.
Special Judge M L Lyngdoh, presiding over the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Court in East Khasi Hills, convicted the accused, Banaiborlang Mawa, on October 27 after finding him guilty under relevant provisions of the POCSO Act.
The offence occurred in the Sohra area of East Khasi Hills, where Mawa was found to have molested the victim when she was still a minor. After years of trial proceedings and evidence evaluation, the court ruled that the prosecution had successfully established the charges beyond reasonable doubt.
In addition to the prison term, the court imposed a fine of ₹20,000 on the convict. The case, which took over a decade to conclude, underscores the persistent challenge of delays in India’s justice delivery system, particularly in cases involving crimes against children.
Enacted in 2012, the POCSO Act provides for stringent punishment for sexual offences against minors and mandates the establishment of special courts to ensure faster adjudication. However, this case reflects the gap that still exists between the intent of the law and its practical implementation.
