YUPIA, OCT 14:
A special court under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act in Arunachal Pradesh has sentenced a 34-year-old man to imprisonment for the remainder of his natural life for raping his eight-year-old niece, observing that the crime was a grave betrayal of familial trust and did not warrant leniency.
Special Judge (POCSO), Yupia, Dr Hirendra Kashyap, pronounced the sentence on October 13, after convicting Komli Taba, a resident of Everest village in Lepa Rada district, on October 8.
The court sentenced Taba under Section 6 of the POCSO Act and imposed a fine of Rs 50,000.
According to the judgment, the incident occurred in November 2024 at the convict’s residence in Nirjuli, where the child had stayed after returning from a picnic with her paternal aunt, Taba’s wife. The court found that Taba lured the child into a separate room on the pretext of dropping her home and sexually assaulted her.
He subsequently threatened to kill the child if she disclosed the incident and concealed her bloodstained clothes in an attempt to destroy evidence, the judgment stated.
The crime came to light after the child’s father noticed that she was bleeding. Following medical consultation, he persuaded her to disclose what had happened.
An FIR was registered at Itanagar Women Police Station on November 18, 2024. Sub-inspector D Pakam investigated the case. Taba surrendered before the police on November 21 and was subsequently arrested.
During the trial, the prosecution examined eight witnesses, including the victim, her father, medical professionals and the investigating officer.
Special Public Prosecutor Kagam Bagra argued that the convict had exploited the trust placed in him by the child and her family, causing physical injuries and psychological trauma. The prosecution sought stringent punishment, citing the gravity of the offence and the subsequent attempt to suppress evidence.
During the sentencing hearing, the defence sought leniency, stating that Taba was the only son of his elderly parents and had minor children to support.
The court rejected the plea that he was the family’s sole breadwinner, noting that his wife was a government employee and his parents were retired employees.
Observing that Taba had violated the trust placed in him as a close relative, the court said his actions had caused a serious dent in society’s sense of humanity. It held that the severity of the crime did not justify leniency, although the case did not fall within the “rarest of rare” category warranting the death penalty.
The court also directed that the case be referred to the District Legal Services Authority, Papum Pare, for adequate compensation to the victim under the Arunachal Pradesh Victim Compensation Scheme, 2011.
Taba was informed of his right to appeal against the conviction and sentence before the Gauhati High Court. (Source: NewsFY)
