By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, May 6: The High Court of Meghalaya on Wednesday dismissed an appeal filed by a man convicted of sexually assaulting a 10-year-old girl, upholding his 10-year rigorous imprisonment sentence.
The appellant had challenged the judgment of the Special Judge (POCSO), Nongstoin, which sentenced him to 10 years in prison with a fine of Rs 30,000 under Section 6 of the POCSO Act, and one year of rigorous imprisonment with a Rs 5,000 fine under Section 506 Part-I of the IPC.
Case Background The case dates back to December 2018, when an FIR was filed at Nongstoin Police Station. The complainant alleged that the appellant had sexually assaulted her minor daughter at his residence on December 4, 2018. Following the complaint, the accused was arrested on December 7, 2018.
During the investigation, police recorded statements from the survivor and the complainant under Section 164 CrPC and completed medical examinations and age verification.
A charge sheet was subsequently filed, and the Special Judge took cognizance of the matter in May 2019.
After hearing the arguments, a Division Bench comprising Justice W. Diengdoh and Justice B. Bhattacharjee concluded that the trial court’s judgment and sentence suffered from no legal or factual infirmities.
The Bench affirmed the original conviction and dismissed the appeal, stating it was devoid of merit.
