The Juvenile Justice Board in Banda has handed down two years of imprisonment to a man for raping a minor girl in 2002. The convict, now 34 years old, was of 13 years when he raped the minor girl (then 11 years old) at an isolated place and threatened her 10-year-old younger brother with dire consequences. He was out on bail. Banda prosecuting officer CP Gautam said, “On Friday, the accused appeared before the board and was convicted of rape and criminal intimidation. Besides handing down imprisonment, the Board also imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 on him.” Six prosecution witnesses, including the victim's brother, were examined by the Board. After the judgment, the convict moved a bail application which the board allowed, Gautam added. The convict is now a private taxi driver with three children. The case dates back to April 10, 2002, when the girl and her brother were on their way home from the field when the incident took place. “The accused caught the girl and tried to drag her to an isolated place. When her brother tried to stop the accused, he thrashed him and threatened him after which the brother fled the spot. The complainant stated that the accused then raped the girl,” the prosecution said. “After fleeing the spot, the brother reached home and informed the family about the matter. On seeing her cousin, the accused fled the scene. The complainant alleged that the accused threatened the cousin with dire consequences while running away from the spot. The cousin brought her home and informed her about the incident to her parents,” the prosecution said. Later, an FIR was registered against the accused on the charges of rape and criminal intimidation.
