Minor’s rape case retrial
SHILLONG: The law department has appointed advocate Yorika Shylla as Special Public Prosecutor for conducting case related to Small Phawa who is accused of raping a minor girl in West Jaintia Hills.
An official source said on Friday that the Special Public Prosecutor was appointed to ensure justice to the victim.
Earlier on April 28 this year, the High Court of Meghalaya had set aside the order of the fast track court which, in 2015, had acquitted Phawa accused of raping the minor girl in West Jaintia Hills, and ordered re-trial of the case.
The court also ordered for retrial of the case to be taken up by the Court of Sessions Judge, Jowai to be completed within four months.
It was on November 30, 2011, that the accused allegedly raped the school girl staying as his tenant along with her family at Riatsiatsim locality in Jowai.
However in the order dated February 26, 2015, the ad hoc judge of the fast track court, Jowai, O.P. Lytan, said that he was convinced that the (prosecution had failed to establish or prove the case beyond reasonable doubt which entitled the accused to acquittal.
Unhappy with the order, the mother of the victim Rita Dhar petitioned the Member Secretary, Meghalaya State Legal Service Authority(MSLSA) last year by stating that since she was poor she was unable to appeal against the order of the fast track court in the High Court.
Subsequently following the intervention of MSLSA, the appeal of the mother was taken up by the High Court.