Man gets life for raping, impregnating teenager

Kolkata: A court in Kolkata sentenced a man on Thursday to life imprisonment for raping and impregnating a teenager, one of the fastest convictions in a POCSO case within a week of the registration of a complaint.

Sealdah additional sessions judge Jimut Bahan Biswas found Biswajit Dey guilty of rape of the 17-year-old girl and sentenced him to “undergo rigorous imprisonment for life for the offence punishable under Section 6 of Protection of Children from Sexual Offence (POCSO) Act, 2012”.

Mr Biswas, who is also a special judge under the POCSO Act, ordered Dey to pay a fine of `2 lakh. The court said 90 per cent of the fine would have to be paid to the victim as a compensation, adding that the 32-year-old would undergo another year of rigorous imprisonment if he defaults on the payment.

In a complaint filed before the Ultadanga police station on Wednesday last week, the girl's mother accused Dey of raping the teenager on the pretext of marrying her.

She alleged the girl had fallen ill and taken to a doctor on July 21, following which she was found to be pregnant.

According to the complaint, Dey had entered into a relationship with the girl and “took advantage” of her on the pretext of marrying her.

The police had filed a chargesheet last Thursday, following which the charges was framed by the court the next day. The accused was found guilty after the examination of nine people by the prosecution during trial.

Special public prosecutor Vivek Sharma submitted before the court that the girl is six months pregnant and prayed for the highest punishment under law.

The judge also awarded `5 lakh as compensation to the girl to be paid by the West Bengal government under the Victim Compensation Scheme.

While awarding the compensation, the additional sessions judge noted that the minor was a distressed child who grew up at her maternal uncle’s home and comes from a poor family.