Kota:
A special court here has sentenced a 29-year-old man to life imprisonment for raping a minor, his close relative, about two years ago on the pretext of helping her get rid of an “evil spirit”.
The 17-year-old girl was raped in Mahavaveer Nagar area of the city in March 2022.
The Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses (POCSO) Court on Friday noted that parents should be cautious and continue to provide feedback on their children's activities.
“The parents should also not blindly trust anyone, including their family members, to the extent that they commit heinous crimes such as rape with them,” the court said.
The girl was raped by her relative, who had also recorded the act and blackmailed her with the video several times to force himself on her, public prosecutor (PP) at POCSO Court-3 Lalit Kumar Sharma said on Saturday.
The survivor's parents believed she was possessed by an evil spirit and allowed their relative – a self-described occultist – to stay at their home and “heal” their daughter, he said.
On the pretext of curing the girl through black magic, the relative raped her and made a video of the act and threatened her with dire consequences if she narrated the incident to anyone, Sharma said, adding that the relative raped her several times .
The minor lodged a complaint at Mahaveer Nagar police station on March 22, 2022, following which the police registered a case under sections of the Indian Penal Code and provisions of the POCSO Act and arrested the accused. However, he was granted bail a few months ago, the prosecutor said.
During the trial, statements of 13 witnesses were recorded and 32 documents were submitted to the court, he added.
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