Man gets 5 years in jail for sexual assault on 12-year-old

Pendra | Desk: In Chhattisgarh's Gaurela-Pendra-Marwahi district, a 21-year-old man committed heinous acts against a 12-year-old minor girl from his neighborhood. The accused, Ashok Kumar Gandharva, lured the child into his empty house and attempted to rape her. A special court has handed down a harsh sentence for this crime.

The incident occurred on March 3 of last year in a village under the Marwahi police station area. On that day, the victim's family members had gone out to withdraw money, while the accused's family had also gone to another village for a wedding ceremony.

Taking advantage of the situation, Ashok lured the innocent girl into his house by promising to show her a "new game." There, he began molesting and engaging in obscene acts with the child.

Suddenly, the victim's grandmother and parents returned. Hearing their voices, the accused panicked and tried to flee, leaving the child behind.

The terrified girl, crying, recounted the entire ordeal to her family. The family immediately filed a complaint at the Marwahi police station. The police took swift action and arrested the accused on March 6. The case was registered under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the POCSO Act.

The court of Special Additional Sessions Judge Jyoti Agrawal expedited the hearing of this sensitive case and delivered the verdict in just 10 months.

The court sentenced the accused to 3 years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs. 1000 under Section 76 of the BNS.

Under Sections 7 and 8 of the POCSO Act, he was sentenced to 5 years of rigorous imprisonment and an additional fine of Rs. 1000.

The court clarified that failure to pay the fine would result in an additional one-month sentence for each default. Both sentences will run concurrently, meaning the accused will effectively serve 5 years in jail.