‘A blot on societal values’: Man sentenced to life in prison for raping daughter

As per details of teh case, the man’s daughter had filed a complaint with the police in which she stated that she along with her parents and siblings reside in Chandigarh and her father worked as a labourer.

In the month of September 2019, her mother had gone to their native village in Uttar Pradesh, leaving the girl behind with her siblings under the care of her husband. The girl’s father, in his wife’s absence, raped her and further threatened to kill her if she disclosed about the incident to anyone. The victim stated to the police that out of fear, she did not disclose about the incident to anyone initially, even as her father continued to rape her. On January 16, 2020, she mustered courage and told her mother about the incident, following which the police was informed. The police launched an investigation in the case and the father of the girl was arrested on January 16, 2020, and charged under sections 376 (2), 376 (2) (n), 376 (3) and 506 IPC and Section 6 of the POCSO Act.

During the course of the trial, the defence counsel argued that the accused has been falsely implicated in the case.

The court however after hearing to the arguments, held the accused guilty.

During the pronouncement of sentence, the convict pleaded leniency on account of the fact that he did not have any past criminal record nor had he been previously convicted in any kind of criminal case. He also stated that he was the only bread earner in his family.

The court of Additional District and Sessions Judge Swati Sehgal, after hearing the man’s plea said that the present case was unique case , wherein, the biological father had been held guilty for raping his own daughter. “The convict by way of his deplorable and heinous act has violated the ideology, sanskars that find mention in our religious vedas, which is ‘Sarv Teerth Mayo Mata Sarv Devo Mayo Pita Matr Pitr Tatsam Sarveyan Pujayte’, wherein it is professed that a father is always to be reverred and worshipped as he is representative of all gods,” the court said.

In the present case the convict by his deplorable act and heinous offence has not only committed the offence against his own daughter, but has also cast a blot on values, sanskriti and ideology of the society, the court observed. “The act of convict calls for stringent punishment”, said the court while sentencing the man to life in imprison till remainder of his natural life.