New Delhi: A Delhi court on Tuesday sentenced a man to life imprisonment for sexually assaulting a four-and-a-half-year-old girl, observing that the brutality of the crime warranted no leniency and that he must be “kept out of society for as long as possible.”
The court also directed the Delhi Legal Services Authority to pay Rs 13 lakh as compensation, taking into account the family’s financial condition, the child’s ongoing medical needs, surgeries, transport costs and dependence on a liquid diet.
Additional Sessions Judge Amit Sahrawat noted the severe and lasting impact of the assault. “The parents have been continuously holding the survivor in their lap turn wise, as she can neither stand nor sit due to her surgeries,” he observed.
Highlighting the gravity of the offence, the judge said there could be no leniency and stressed the need to keep the convict away from society.
The court also recorded the financial distress of the child’s parents, both contractual labourers, who have been unable to work since the incident while caring for their daughter.
“The duty of the court is not only to secure the present situation of the survivor, rather the future of the survivor is also required to be secured because grievous injuries on her both private parts are going to create medical issues throughout her life,” the judge said, adding that compensation was the only way to mitigate the “horrible memories” that would haunt her.
The case dates back to Nov 2025, when the accused, Sunny Kumar, allegedly took the child — his neighbour’s daughter — on the pretext of buying chocolate. When she did not return till late evening, her mother began searching for her. Around 9 pm, the accused brought her back with blood on her clothes.
On being questioned, the child disclosed the assault. She was rushed to a nearby hospital and an FIR was registered at Mahendra Park police station.
In Dec 2025, the court directed interim compensation of Rs 5 lakh after noting her severe injuries, which left her dependent on tubes to pass urine and stool.
Koushiki Saha, a trainee journalist currently reporting for The T...
Read MoreKoushiki Saha, a trainee journalist currently reporting for The Times of India, covers urban governance, infrastructure lapses, public grievances, and municipal policies with clarity and compassion. Still learning every day, she draws insights from fieldwork, lived experiences, and holding authorities accountable through persistent, people-focused reporting.
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