Balurghat and Cooch Behar courts deliver stringent penalties in rape cases

BALURGHAT/COOCH BEHAR: At the time when the state is in utter turmoil over the alleged rape and murder of a doctor, in a significant legal move, two courts in North Bengal delivered stringent sentences for rape cases on Friday.

In Balurghat, the special POCSO Court sentenced Amit Pahan to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment for raping a three-year-old girl. Judge Sharanya Sen Prasad of the Special POCSO Court rendered the verdict. Pahan, a neighbor of the victim, was convicted under Section 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. Public Prosecutor Ritabrata Chakraborty, stated: “The court has sentenced Pahan to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 10,000. An additional six months of imprisonment will be added if the fine is not paid.”

“The incident occurred on January 18, 2020. The condition of the child had deteriorated considerably following the incident resulting in the mother of the victim lodging a complaint. The police acted swiftly on the complaint leading to the accused’s arrest. The court’s decision ensures justice for the victim,” stated Additional Superintendent of Police Kartik Chandra Mandal.

In a separate case, the Cooch Behar Additional District and Sessions Judge (Fast Track Court) sentenced three men to 25 years of imprisonment and fined them Rs 1 lakh each for raping a college student. Judge Nair Azam Khan announced the verdict. The assault had taken place on December 21, 2021, when Jamir Hussain, known to the victim, and Firoz Alam, who drove the car, deceived the student by promising to take her to college. They, along with Russell Mia, took her to a distant location, raped her, and recorded the henious crime on video. The victim had confided about the incident to her family, leading to a police complaint on December 23, 2021. The accused have been in

custody since.

Senior Public Prosecutor Chanchal Chakraborty said: “The court sentenced the accused based on 16 witness statements. The fine will be given to the victim.”