Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Sept 14: A Fast Track Court today sentenced a man to 10 years rigorous imprisonment for raping a 13-year-old girl.
The convict, Rakesh Kumar of Kaleri Bhalwal in Jammu, has also been sentenced to seven years of jail for kidnapping the girl. However, both sentences shall run concurrently, the presiding officer of Fast Track Court, Khalil Choudhary ordered.
Kumar has also been fined Rs 25000 each for both the sentences and in case of failure to pay the same, the convict has been ordered to undergo further imprisonment for a period of three months in each offence.
“The period of detention of the convict during investigation and trial of this case is set off against the sentences awarded to the convict,” reads the order.
As per the prosecution story, the girl (name withheld) was sleeping in her home and was found missing in the morning in April 2018.
A search for the girl was launched by the family members but all in vain. During the hunt, it came to the fore that the girl was kidnapped by one Rakesh Kumar, who happened to be her neighbour, the prosecution said. Kumar was also missing from his house.
Based on a complaint by the girl’s father, police registered a case FIR No. 35/2018 under section 363 RPC (kidnapping) and recovered the girl from Ratlam in Madhya Pradesh on April 6, 2018.
Subsequently, after medical examination of the girl, section 376 (rape) was added to the case and after completion of the investigation, a charge-sheet under section 363/376 RPC was filed in the court of Sub Registrar, JMIC Jammu on May 31, 2018 against the accused. Later, the case was transferred to the court of 3rd Additional Sessions Judge Jammu on June 6, 2018 and on May 6. 2021, it was allocated to ‘Fast Track Court’ for trial of rape cases.
After hearing both the sides, the court observed that all the evidence on record “unerringly point towards the guilt of the accused (Rakesh Kumar).”
“There is a complete chain of events to indicate that within all human probability, the crime was committed by the accused and all the circumstances brought on record and established, are consistent with the guilt of the accused and inconsistent with his innocence,” the court said, adding, “ Rakesh Kumar appears to be squarely liable for the commission of rape and kidnapping of the minor girl.”
Subsequently, the court convicted and sentenced him for the offences under section 363/376 (1) RPC. The court asked Superintendent Central Jail Kot Bhalwal to receive the convict into custody for execution of the sentence.
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