20-year jail for raping minor

Legal Correspondent

Ludhiana, August 10

The Court of Additional District and Sessions Judge Amar Jeet Singh has convicted Harjinder Singh, alias Bablu (45), a resident of Chomon village, Jalandhar district, under the POCSO Act, on the charges of sexually exploiting a 17-year-old girl.

He was sentenced to undergo rigorous imprisonment for 20 years. The accused was also ordered to pay Rs 1,05,000 as fine for indulgence in such a heinous crime. Of the recovered fine amount, Rs 1,00,000 would be paid as compensation to the victim.

Pronouncing the verdict, the court held that the prosecution has successfully proved the charges against the accused. The court declined the plea of leniency raised by him.

Additional public prosecutor BD Gupta apprised that a case against the accused was registered on March 22, 2022, following the statement of the girl.

The victim had told the police that she stayed at her maternal grandfather’s house at Jalandhar for about five to six years for study purpose. The accused was staying there as a tenant in her grandfather’s house and used to give tuitions to her. She used to call him “Mamaji”.

Following the lockdown due to Covid-19, her mother brought her back to Ludhiana. One day, the accused visited her house when her parents had gone to Hoshiarpur due to death of a relative. The victim brought cold drinks for him. The accused mixed some intoxicating substance in the cold drinks in her absence and asked her to consume the same. When she had it, she became unconscious. Following which, he sexually exploited her.

However, during the trial the accused pleaded innocence but convinced with prosecution evidence, the court found him guilty and awarded 20-year jail term to him.