Man gets 20 yrs in jail for minor daughter's rape

New Delhi, Jul 25 (PTI) A Delhi court has sentenced a man accused of raping his minor daughter in 2021 to rigorous imprisonment of 20 years and said a strong message needs to go out in society.
     Additional sessions judge Ajay Nagar was hearing arguments on sentencing against the man convicted under Section 6 (aggravated penetrative sexual assault) of the POCSO Act and Section 376 (rape) under IPC
     In an order on May 6, the court said, "A strong message must be conveyed to society that such kind of offences against children shall not be tolerated under any circumstances and such offenders shall be dealt with strictly."
     The court noted the survivor's statement that she was staying with her maternal grandparents after her mother passed away and the convict brought her to his house and raped her on December 30, 2021.
     "She tried to escape herself and even scratched his face with her nails to get herself free but he (father) did not let her go; after rape, when accused released her, she got very angry and in a fit of anger, she hit on the neck of the accused with a knife; thereafter the blood was oozing out from his neck, she opened the latches of the door and narrated the entire incident to landlady," the court said.
     The order, however, said there were mitigating circumstances in the case as well.
     "The convict is from poor strata of society and does not have a previous conviction record, and there is nothing to suggest on record that he is beyond reformation," it held.
     Observing the minor survivor required financial assistance for rehabilitation, the court compensated her with Rs 10.5 lakh.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)