Tripura: Stepfather jailed 20 years for daughter's rape

Agartala: The Tripura Special POCSO Court on Wednesday sentenced a man to 20 years in prison and a fined Rs 5,000 for the brutal rape of his 11-year-old stepdaughter.

The victim's elder sister brought the horrific crime, which occurred in August 2023, to light.

Prosecution lawyer Ashmita Banik revealed a disturbing detail: the victim's own mother actively shielded the accused stepfather, fleeing with him after the incident. "Her mother didn't support her at that hour of crisis," Banik stated.

The breakthrough came when the victim's elder sister, residing in Sabroom under South Tripura, filed an FIR. Following the arrest, Investigating Officer Rumi Bala Baidya swiftly filed the charge sheet. Special POCSO Judge Sunil Singh, after examining 19 witnesses and reviewing forensic evidence, found the stepfather guilty under Section 6 of the POCSO Act and Sections 376 and 506 of the Indian Penal Code.

The court also mandated compensation for the victim under the CrPC's victim compensation scheme.

The minor survivor has been under state custody in a shelter home since the case began and is reportedly "leading a normal life.”