Rape Of 4YO: Special POCSO Court In Rajasthan Completes Trial In 5 Days

In a rare move, a Special Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act Court in Sikar district in Rajasthan completed a trial concerning the rape of a four year old girl in five days.

According to a Hindustan Times report, the accused, a native of Gujarat, was found with the girl on January 30 in a burial ground, a few furlongs away from where she lived with her parents in shanties. The victim was bleeding and the accused got injured when he tried to flee. Both of them were then taken to the hospital, where the girl identified her rapist from nine mug shots pasted on a white sheet of paper.

The man was later identified as Karan, alias Kalu and Kaliya. A case was registered against him on January 31. He was arrested the same day and was sent to judicial custody the next day. The girl's statement was recorded on February 2.

"We took the case under the case officer scheme, a programme in which police officers ensure that the witnesses don't turn hostile so that they get conviction, and finished the investigation in four days," Dr Amandeep Singh Kapoor, Sikar's superintendent of police was quoted as saying.

This pro-activeness led to filing of the charge-sheet by him on February 4, after which the girl was brought to court.

The trial began on February 5 and concluded on February 11, i.e. within five working days. The girl identified the accused from mugshots on February 7 in the court, and the accused was thereafter sentenced to life imprisonment