Murder accused gets 25 years RI for raping niece while out on bail

Meerut: A Pocso court in Bulandshahr sentenced a 45-year-old man to 25 years of rigorous imprisonment for raping his six-year-old niece while he was out on bail in a murder case. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 53,000 on the convict.On May 27 last year, the man lured the child with candies to his house and sexually assaulted her. Despite being threatened with death, the child managed to reach home and inform her parents, who immediately took her to a hospital. Special public prosecutor Bharat Sharma said the survivor had to undergo surgery in Meerut due to the severity of her injuries. A case was registered against the man under relevant BNS sections, including rape, voluntarily causing hurt and criminal intimidation, along with sections of the Pocso Act. A chargesheet was filed on July 24, 2024. During the trial, the prosecution examined eight witnesses, including the survivor. The convict is married and has two daughters and pleaded for leniency, but Special judge Shagun Panwar Wednesday rejected his plea, terming the crime as heinous.SHO Manoj Kumar said the man had earlier been convicted in a 2013 murder case. "He, along with two others, killed a villager in 2013. He was convicted in 2018 but secured bail from a higher court after he challenged the order. During this period, he raped his niece, and was later arrested following an encounter," Kumar said. SSP Dinesh Kumar Singh said, "The verdict is part of ‘Operation Conviction', a UP Police initiative to expedite convictions in crimes against women, children and serious offenders."