Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: In October 2019, a rape prisoner who had sexually assaulted a young girl with intellectual disabilities was sentenced to 20 years of harsh imprisonment by the Fast Track Court (POCSO), Panaji.
Due to the delicate nature of the case, the identities of the victim and the accused have been kept secret. According to the case information, the 17-year-old was sexually abused in a hut by the accused, a married father of two.
Due to the seriousness of the offence and the fact that it is criminal under both the POCSO Act and the Indian Penal Code, Presiding Officer (FTC-POCSO) Durga Madkaikar refused to grant leniency.
“The offences for which the defendant was found guilty are grave and serious. Because the accused was a family man and old enough to understand the repercussions at the time of the act, I believe that no leniency is necessary to be offered to him,” the order states.
In addition to the jail sentence, he must pay a Rs 1.50 lakh fine. The defendant was detained from October 10, 2019, to October 9, 2020 (11 months and 30 days), and again from January 3, 2025, to January 27, 2025 (24 days), after being found guilty on November 26, 2024.
According to Section 428 of the Criminal Procedure Code, the Court mandated that this one-year and twenty-three-day period be deducted.
If the fine is paid, the court ordered that it be given to the victim at the end of the appeal term.