Nepalese man gets 5 years rigorous imprisonment for sexually assaulting girl

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A court at Vasai in Maharashtra's Palghar district has sentenced a Nepalese man to five years of rigorous imprisonment for sexually assaulting an 11-year-old girl in 2020.

Special court judge S V Khongal hearing cases pertaining to the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, on Friday convicted 45-year-old Raju Param Thapa and imposed a fine of Rs 1,000 on him.

The convict, a cook by profession, resided in the same building in Vasai as the victim, special public prosecutor Jaiprkash Patil told the court.

The girl, who was 11 years old at the time of the incident, was allegedly molested by Thapa on October 27, 2020. He also dragged the victim to a room in the building and sexually assaulted her, he said.

In the order, the court said the prosecution proved all the charges against the accused.

"The state has the responsibility to punish the wrongdoer/the guilty and also to see that the victim is not only compensated by the state for loss and injury suffered but also for the rehabilitation. The object and purpose of the provision of section 357(a) of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) is to enable the court to direct the state to pay compensation to the victim. It is one of the methods to protect the victim and rehabilitate her," the court said.

"The accused was a cook. He had a meagre earning source. The victim belongs to a poor financial background. The humiliation or the reputation that is snuffed out cannot be recompensated, but then monetary compensation will at least provide some solace. The victim and her family have suffered a lot. Therefore, taking into consideration all these factors, this court is of the view to grant compensation to the victim," it added.

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