JAMMU, Feb 9: The Court of Special Judge, Fast Track Court (POCSO Cases), Jammu, presided over by Sunil Sangra, has convicted Sanjeev Kumar alias “Chotu”, a resident of Bomal, Akhnoor, in a child sexual offence case. The accused was found guilty under Section 354 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Section 8 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act in connection with FIR No. 166/2020 registered at Police Station Akhnoor.
According to the prosecution, the incident occurred on September 30, 2020, when the minor girl, stated to be around eight years old at the time, had gone outside to play and subsequently went missing. Her mother launched a search and, as per the prosecution version, found the child inside or near the residence of the accused. The complaint alleged that the accused had lured the child into his house on a pretext and sexually assaulted her.
A written complaint was later lodged, leading to the registration of an FIR and initiation of investigation. During the course of trial, the prosecution examined the victim and other material witnesses, including her parents, and produced documentary evidence to establish the age of the victim.
Addressing the defence contention regarding delay in lodging the FIR, the court observed that delay in reporting sexual offences cannot, by itself, be a ground to discard the prosecution’s case, particularly when the overall evidence is credible and inspires confidence.
Upon careful appreciation of the evidence on record, the Special Court held that the prosecution had successfully established the charges against the accused beyond reasonable doubt and accordingly recorded his conviction under the relevant provisions of law.
