New Delhi: A man has been sentenced to three years in jail for sodomising an eight-year-old boy in 2004 by a Delhi court which observed that there is an "increase in crime" against minors and their "protection" is need of the hour.
Metropolitan Magistrate Susheel Bala Dagar also directed 32-year-old convict Vinod, a northeast Delhi resident, to pay Rs 10,000 as compensation to the victim.
"Furthermore, there is an increase in the crime against children/minor which need to be curbed. Protection of the minors is need of the hour.
"The victim is a minor child of eight years. In the light of the facts and circumstances of the case and by balancing the mitigating and aggravating factors, I am of the opinion that convict Vinod be sentenced to simple imprisonment for three years and will compensate the victim in the sum of Rs 10,000," the magistrate said.
The court suspended the convict`s sentence till August 8 to enable him to file an appeal against this judgement and released him on bail till then.
The court noted that the victim was wrongfully confined by Vinod in his house and the prosecution witnesses have also supported the version of the minor.
According to the prosecution, in April 2004, when the child was playing outside his house, the accused called him in his house and sodomised him.
The child had told the police that when he shouted due to the pain, the accused left him. The victim had told his mother about the incident when she returned home from her work in the evening and police was called.
Vinod had claimed innocence, saying he was implicated by the minor`s mother as they had a quarrel.
The court, however, said reasons advanced by the accused for his alleged false implication does not hold any ground.
"There is nothing to suggest that accused is not able to perform sexual intercourse and the minor was found sexually assaulted i.e. Sodomised," the court said.
PTI
