Bokaro Father and Friend Sentenced to Life for Minor Rape Under POCSO Act

Bokaro: Two men, including a father, have been sentenced to life imprisonment for raping a minor girl in 2025.Special judge of POCSO court in Bokaro, Devesh Kumar Tripathi, on Thursday sentenced the two men. The case was filed on the complaint of the girl’s mother.According to special public prosecutor Ravishankar Chaudhary, the incident took place in March 2025, when the girl was 11 years old. The mother had alleged that the accused father took the child out of the house on the pretext of buying medicines. His friend later accompanied him, who drove her to an isolated location. There, the friend allegedly raped the minor first, followed by her father.After returning home, the girl narrated the incident to her mother, who immediately lodged an FIR against the accused. SPP Chaurdhary said, “The court initiated a legal process and relied on the forensic science report, CCTV footage, and other corroborative evidence to establish the guilt of both accused."He added, “Special Judge Devesh Kumar Tripathi awarded 25 years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs 10,000 on each convict under Section 4 of the POCSO Act. For the more severe charge under Section 6 of the Act, both were sentenced to life imprisonment along with a fine of Rs 20,000 each. The judge ordered that both sentences would run concurrently. However, the convicts will have to serve an additional three years of rigorous imprisonment if they fail to pay the mandated fines.”