A man convicted for sodomising a four-year-old boy has been sentenced to 10-year jail by a Delhi court, which observed that the offence was “highly derogatory”.
Additional Sessions Judge Vinod Yadav, while sentencing Delhi resident Surender for the offence punishable under the provisions of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, also imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 on him.
The court said that although the offence, for which Surender has been convicted, is “highly derogatory” the court can’t lose sight of the fact that he is having responsibility of his family comprising wife and minor daughter.
The court also directed Delhi Legal Service Authority (DLSA) to grant Rs 50,000 compensation to the victim and said that the amount be used for his rehabilitation and welfare.
“…The concept of welfare and wellbeing of children is basic for any civilised society and this has a direct bearing on the state of health and well being of the entire community, its growth and development,” the court said.
While convicting Surender for the offence, the court had said that prosecution has been able to prove the charge against him beyond reasonable doubt.
The court had rejected the defence taken by the convict that he was falsely implicated in the case due to the quarrel between him and child’s parents few days before the incident.
“It is also possible that on account of the accused having received beatings at the hands of the father of the child, he might have taken revenge by committing sexual assault upon the child victim,” the court said.
According to prosecution, on the complaint of the child’s father, an FIR was registered against the accused on October 16, 2013 under provisions of POCSO Act.
It said that as per the complaint, Surender had lured the boy playing outside his house with chocolates and had taken him to a secluded graveyard where he committed the unnatural offence with him.
Two youths of the locality heard the screams of child and rescued him from the accused, after which the police was informed.
Surender had pleaded not guilty and claimed trial.
