INDORE: A sessions court in MP’s Dewas has sentenced a man to four life terms “till his last breath” for raping his minor stepdaughter.
Additional district judge (special court) Dr Mahzabeen Khan convicted the 40-year-old under IPC section 376 (3), and three sections of Pocso Act. “The court awarded the stepfather imprisonment till his last breath in all four sections,” said media cell in-charge assistant district prosecution officer (ADPO) Udal Singh Maurya, who led the trial along with DPO Rajendra Singh Bhadauriya.
The horror came to light on December 18, 2020, when the 15-year-old rape survivor was rushed to hospital with acute stomach ache. The doctors found she was pregnant and informed police.
Investigators recorded the statements of the survivor and her mother and registered an FIR against the stepfather. He was arrested and remanded in jail.
Police learnt that the rape survivor’s mother had married the accused after the death of her first husband. The stepfather had been raping her for around two years before she got pregnant. Investigators found that the mother had resisted his attempts but couldn’t save the child. The foetus was aborted and a DNA test confirmed rape by the stepfather. The survivor and her mother testified against him in court.
After taking into account witness statements, scientific reports and prosecution arguments, the judge sentenced him to four life imprisonments.
(The victim's identity has not been revealed to protect her privacy as per Supreme court directives on cases related to sexual assault)
