Aligarh court sentences priest to 20 years for raping minor Dalit girl

A local court in Aligarh has delivered a significant verdict sentencing a 50-year-old temple priest, Jamuna Das, to 20 years in prison for raping a five-year-old Dalit girl. The swift justice was notable as it was delivered within just 30 days after formal charges were filed on September 25. The court also imposed a Rs 50,000 fine on the convict.

Incident

The child’s grandfather had lodged an FIR on July 3 stating that the girl along with her 8-year-old brother had gone to a nearby temple where the priest lived. When the priest noticed the young victim, he lured her with a promise of granting Rs 10. He took her to his room where he sexually assaulted the child. Her brother narrated the crime to his family who along with villagers later confronted the priest and reported the incident to the local police.

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Subsequently, the girl was sent for medical examination and the accused was arrested and charged under stringent laws including the Indian Penal Code, the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO), and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

The trial unfolded swiftly, with the court hearing testimonies and reviewing evidence within a month. “Following the chargesheet, the court of additional district judge (Pocso), Surendra Mohan Sahay, framed charges and carried out a speedy trial,” special public prosecutor Mahesh Singh told TOI.

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