NOIDA: A POCSO Court in Greater Noida has sentenced a 32-year-old tutor to rigorous imprisonment of 20 years on Wednesday for raping and keeping his 13-year-old student hostage for nearly a week in Noida in 2021.
While pronouncing the judgement, Saurabh Dwivedi, Special Judge, POCSO Court, relied on the testimonies of prosecution witnesses and the medical report and convicted Kundan Kumar, a native of Basti district.
“The victim, her family, and other eyewitnesses, testified before the court. The victim’s testimony and doctors’ medical observations proved to be crucial evidence to convict the culprit,” said Special Public Prosecutor, Chawanpal Singh.
The Special POCSO Judge Saurabh Dwivedi said, “The accused committed the heinous crime of raping a minor, an act that has been strongly condemned by society. Any leniency in punishment would send the wrong message, undermining the seriousness of the offence. The nature of punishment should reinforce the principle that such crimes will not be tolerated under any circumstances.
According to information, the victim, a student of class 6, lived with her family and took tuition from a tutor living in neighborhood in Noida.
“The girl went missing on March 17, 2021 after she left home for tuitions. Her family launched a search for her but after they failed to trace her, a complaint was lodged at a nearby police station” said Singh. “The tutor also went absconding, and her mobile number was found switched off,” added Singh.
Nearly 10 days later, on March 28, police arrested the accused from Ghaziabad and also recovered the victim from his possession. The accused was produced in court and sent to judicial custody, while the survivor was sent for a medical examination. Medical reports conformed that her hymen was torn and healed.
The victim testified in front of the court and said that her tutor offered her water laced with sedatives.
Soon after, she lost consciousness, and then he took her to Ghaziabad and raped her after keeping her hostage for nearly a week.
The defence argued that the convict, a 32-year-old, bears the sole responsibility for his family and begged for mercy. However, the court rejected the plea, sentencing him to 20 years imprisonment and imposing a fine of Rs 1 lakh.
“He is sentenced to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment under Section 4 of Pocso Act, five years of rigorous imprisonment under Section 363 (kidnapping) of IPC, and seven years of imprisonment under Section 366 (abducting, or inducing a woman to compel her for marriage) of IPC,” the court said and added that all the sentences shall run concurrently,” the court said