Jalpaiguri court sentences youth to 25 years jail for raping 12-yr-old girl

Jalpaiguri: A special POCSO Court in Jalpaiguri sentenced a youth to 25 years of rigorous imprisonment for the kidnapping and rape of a 12-year-old girl. The verdict was delivered on Wednesday by Judge Rintu Shur.

According to the complaint, the minor occasionally travelled to school in the e-rickshaw of the convicted Golam Masud Muhammad. On January 21, 2025, instead of dropping her at school, he allegedly took her to the Teesta Udyan area, offered her chocolate laced with an intoxicant and later raped her near the banks of the Teesta River. He then dropped her home and allegedly threatened to kill her if she spoke about the incident.The incident came to light when the girl’s mother found a pregnancy test kit in her school bag. On questioning, the child revealed that the accused had given it to her after the assault. A complaint was filed on February 8, leading to the registration of a case under Section 4 of the POCSO Act, 2012, and Section 351(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

District Superintendent of Police Khandbahale Umesh Ganpat stated: “The police acted promptly and filed the chargesheet within seven days.

The case was handled efficiently by Special Public Prosecutor Debashish Dutta. After a five-month trial, the court convicted the accused and imposed a Rs 1,00,000 fine. Additionally, the court directed the authorities to pay Rs 5,00,000 as compensation to the survivor. This judgment is being hailed as a strong message in support of justice for survivors of sexual violence, especially minors.”