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Srinagar, October 24 (IANS) The Principal District and Sessions Judge of Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir on Friday sentenced a man to life imprisonment after finding him guilty of raping his minor daughter.
In his judgment, the Principal District and Sessions Judge, Anantnag (Special Judge under the POCSO Act) sentenced the man to imprisonment for the remaining natural life after holding him guilty of raping his minor daughter.
FIR number 03/2022 was registered against the accused at Mahila Police Station, Anantnag under sections 376 and 506 of the IPC and sections 3 and 4 of the POCSO Act.
The court emphasized that the punishment should serve as a strong deterrent against crimes targeting minors.
“The accused shall suffer imprisonment for the remainder of his natural life,” the court said, stressing the need to preserve the dignity and rights of victims, especially children, who suffer abuse within the safety of their homes.
Apart from the life imprisonment, the court also awarded compensation of over Rs 10 lakh to the victim under the Victim Compensation Scheme, and directed the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA), Anantnag, to ensure prompt disbursement of the amount.
The prosecution before the court of Principal District and Sessions Judge Anantnag, Tahir Khurshid Raina was effectively conducted by Public Prosecutor Abdul Rashid Mir.
The decision has been widely praised as a firm judicial response to crimes of sexual violence, reaffirming the Court’s commitment to justice and the protection of minors.
The Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses (POCSO) Act is enacted as part of India’s child protection policies regarding child sexual abuse laws in India.
The Parliament of India passed the POCSO Bill on 22 May 2012, making it an Act.
A guideline was passed by the Ministry of Women and Child Development of India. The rules framed by the government in accordance with the law were notified in November 2012, and the law became ready for implementation. Demands have been raised several times for more stringent laws. India has one of the largest population of children in the world. 2011 census data shows that India has a population of 472 million children under the age of eighteen.
The protection of children by the State is guaranteed to Indian citizens as per a detailed reading of Article 21 of the Indian Constitution, and is also mandated by India’s status as a signatory to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, and hence, the court imposed the maximum punishment permissible under law.
POCSO refers to the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses (POCSO) Act, 2012, a law in India that protects children under the age of 18 from sexual assault, sexual harassment and pornography. After the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019, the POCSO Act came into force in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
–IANS
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