A man from Dima Hasao district of Assam was found guilty of kidnapping and raping a minor girl in 2018 and was sentenced to 25 years rigorous imprisonment, officials said on June 23.
Public prosecutor Ajoy Chakraborty told reporters that the medical examination of the 13-year-old survivor has proved sexual assault. She described the occurrence in her statement recorded by the police.
The police presented the case diary to the court following the initial inquiry and the hearing went on for more than four years.
On June 21, Justice Abu Bakkar Siddiqui of the district sessions court sentenced convict Monu Naiding to 25 years in jail.
“Monu Naiding was given a 20-year term of rigorous imprisonment for rape and an additional 5-year sentence for kidnapping. A fine of Rs 55,000 was also slapped on him, and if he doesn’t pay the fine, his sentence will be elongated,” Chakraborty added.
The family members of the survivor said: “This judgment will be an example for all those rapists who think that they’ll escape after doing the crime.”
As per the police case before the Dima Hasao district & sessions court, the crime took place in 2018 in Haflong, when Naiding, 28, kidnapped the 13-year-old girl as she was walking home.
A senior police officer said: “Naiding allegedly kidnapped the minor and sexually assaulted her for days. After being held captive by him for a few days in various locations close to forests, the girl was eventually freed. Naiding was arrested when the victim’s family members filed an FIR.”
Initially, the accused was absconding but due to police pressure, he later surrendered.
In 2018, police filed charges against him under sections 363 (abduction) and 376 (rape of a minor under the age of 16) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
