Manipur: Man sentenced to 21 years RI for sexual assault of 7-year-old girl

Imphal: A local court in Manipur's Imphal East district has sentenced a 46-year-old man to 21 years of rigorous imprisonment (RI) for the sexual assault of a minor girl.

Special Judge R.K. Memcha pronounced the judgment, ordering the convict Khaidem Bisembor to pay an additional fine of Rs 1 lakh. In default of payment, the convict will have to undergo an extra four years of RI, the court ordered.

Bisembor, also known as Suresh Meitei, son of K. Ranjit Meitei and a resident of Nongdam Maning Leikai, Imphal East, was found guilty under Section 417 of the IPC read with Section 6 of the POCSO Act, 2012.

The court also directed the Manipur Government to provide the seven-year-old victim and her family with a compensation of Rs 1 lakh. This amount is to be paid from the Victim Compensation Fund or other established schemes under section 357-A of the CrPC within 30 days of the order's receipt.

The case dates back to October 12, 2019, when the victim's mother lodged a complaint. The complaint stated that Bisembor had lured her daughter and the child's friend to a house under construction. He then made the friend stand watch at the window while he sexually assaulted the victim.

Following the complaint, a team from the Imphal East women police arrested Bisembor on October 14, 2019, from the Langol area near Shija Hospital. The prosecution presented its case during the trial by examining 12 witnesses and marking 16 documentary exhibits and five material objects.