Court concludes POCSO case in nine days, awards 25-year sentence to convict

NEW DELHI: Special POCSO court at Delhi’s Tis Hazari concluded a POCSO trial in 9 days and awarded a punishment of 25 years jail to a convict. The convicted person raped a minor girl aged two on the night of Diwali.

An FIR was lodged in Nihal Vihar Police Station on October 20. The trial commenced after the charge sheet was filed and the charge framed, and concluded in 9 days on November 20. The court had convicted Rajkumar on November 19.

Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Babita Punia awarded 25 years imprisonment to Rajkumar after convicting him under the POCSO Act for the offence of rape of a minor. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 5000 on the convict.

The court has awarded Rs 1.35 lakh in compensation to the victim’s child.

While sentencing the convict, the Judge rejected the defence that the convict was under the influence of some intoxication.

ASJ Punia said, “Admittedly, the convict was under the influence of some intoxicating substance at the time of the commission of the offence. However, this is not a mitigating factor because it is not as if someone forced him to consume the same. He consumed Ganja/liquor voluntarily, that too on the eve of Diwali.”

“In my considered view, the chronological age of the convict is a neutral factor. It, particularly when compared with the age of the child victim, does not constitute a mitigating factor in his favour,” the Special Judge said in the order of sentence.

The court said that the convict had prayed for a lenient view. It is pertinent to note that this court does not have a clean slate upon which it may inscribe whatever sentence it may think appropriate. Both, POCSO Act and the BNS prescribe a minimum sentence in cases of sexual assault upon a child or woman below a certain age.

“Therefore, considering the overall conspectus of the case, particularly the personal circumstances of the convict, the needs of society, nature of the crime and comparative age of the convict and victim on the date of occurrence, I consider a sentence of twenty-five (25) years rigorous imprisonment with a fine of Rs 5,000 to be appropriate. In my considered view, this will provide just retribution and adequate protection to society, make the convict realise the gravity of his act, while also leaving scope for rehabilitation,” the court said in the order of November 20.

As per the prosecution’s case, on the night of October 20, 2025, at 23:19:14, information regarding “galat kaam” with the caller’s two-year-old girl child was received at police station Nihal Vihar. The investigation officer who immediately went to the spot and met the complainant. The alleged person named Raj Kumar (accused) was also lying severely injured. (ANI)