Itanagar, Oct 7 : A court of Special Judge under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act at Pasighat in Arunachal Pradesh sentenced a 33-year-old man, Kalen Apang, to 20 years in prison and life imprisonment for sexually assaulting and impregnating his minor step-daughter.
The case dates back to 23 March, 2022, when a written complaint was lodged at Jenging Police Station in Upper Siang district by the District Child Protection Unit (DCPU) to the effect that Kalen had sexually assaulted his minor step-daughter in 2019, and again committed the same offence on the 13-year-old even after being out on bail.
Subsequently, the Jenging Police had launched an investigation and booked him under IPC Section 376 (2)(F) (n) IPC read with Sec 6/16 of the POCSO Act, 2012.
The victim had been staying with Kalen since she was about 11 years of age when her mother, who works at a tea garden at Ramsing, married him. The man started sexually abusing the minor instantly after the marriage and ultimately impregnated her.
The incident came to light when the aunt of the victim-survivor found out that she was pregnant, and brought her to a Yingkiong hospital for medical examination. Subsequently, an FIR was lodged that led to his arrest. He was later enlarged on bail.
But after his release from jail, Kalen forcefully came again and stayed with the victim-child and her mother and committed sexual assault on the minor and impregnated her again.
While sentencing, the defence counsel for the convict pleaded for mercy and prayed for 20 years term, however, the Special Judge said that the convict had shown no remorse for his actions and he had utter disregard for law and despite being enlarged on bail had committed the same offence twice.
The Special Judge, therefore, pronounced a double sentence in the open court against the convict: 20 years’ imprisonment for the first offence and life imprisonment for the subsequent offence.