GUWAHATI: In a landmark judgment, the special court, Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO), Kamrup-Metropolitan district of Assam, has convicted one Naren Deka, and sentenced him to 25 years of rigorous imprisonment, along with a fine of Rs 5000, and simple imprisonment for another three months in default of payment of the same, for sexually assaulting a three-year-old minor girl.
Deka was convicted in connection with a case registered at Guwahati’s Fatasil Ambari police station case 239/2022, under section 376(2)(f)(i) (rape on a woman when she is under twelve years of age) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), read with section 6 of POCSO Act, 2012 (aggravated penetrative sexual assault).
The case against Deka was registered on November 9, 2022 and after completion of investigation, the charge-sheet was submitted to the special court (POCSO), Kamrup-Metropolitan on November 29, 2022.
The investigating officer (IO) of the case was sub-inspector (SI) Ritupon Gogoi, the then second officer of the Fatasil Ambari police station in Guwahati city of Assam, now promoted to the rank of inspector.
In another case of child abuse, the special court (POCSO) in Kamrup-Metropolitan district of Assam has convicted one Manish Sikdar, a resident of Sankardev Housing Colony Society under Jalukbari police station in Guwahati, and sentenced him to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment, along with a fine of Rs 20,000, and to undergo simple imprisonment for another three months, in case of default in paying the amount, for sexually abusing a 12-year-old minor boy.
The case was in connection with Jalukbari police station case 1387/2018 under section 6 of POCSO Act, 2012, registered on October 8, 2018 and chargesheet submitted to the special court on May 11, 2019, after completion of the investigation.
The First Information Report (FIR) was lodged by UTSAH, a non-governmental organization (NGO), working in the field of child rights.
The convict Manish Sikdar, was the minor victim’s private tutor. The case was investigated by WSI Nilima Boro of the Jalukbari police station, who is currently posted in Special Branch (SB), Kahilipara, Guwahati, Assam.