IMPHAL: A Special POCSO court Judge in Manipur on Saturday sentenced a man from Assam for 16 years and a fine of Rs 20,000 under the POCSO Act, 2012 for sexually assaulting his 12-year-old niece, a court official said.

Both the victim and the convict are close relatives and hail from Silchar in Southern Assam.

According to the Manipur police, the convict Babul Kol, 39, raped his minor niece in 2016 while they are staying together in Ukhrul district in northeastern Manipur.

Babul brought the minor girl from Silchar to Ukhrul in October 2015 and admitted her to class III at a school in Ukhrul and stayed together at a rented house.

“Since March 2016, he has been repeatedly sexualy assaulting the girl till she lodged a complaint with the women police station of Ukhrul,” the police said.

After finding him prima facie guilty, the police arrested the accused and after an inquiry submitted chargesheets in the court under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012.

Special POCSO court Judge W. Tonen Meitei observed that it has been proved without any reasonable doubt that the accused had committed penetrative sexual assault to the minor victim, who was brought from Silchar with a promise of education, attracting the offence under section 3 of POCSO Act, 2012.
IANS