Two Tripura brothers get 20 years in prison for raping a minor

Two Tripura brothers have been jailed for 20 years for raping a minor

Image used for representational purposes only

AGARTALA: A special court on Tuesday sentenced two brothers to 20 years in jail after finding them guilty of raping and blackmailing a minor girl in North Tripura three years ago.
The court convicted both brothers under the POCSO Act and imposed a fine of Rs 25,000 on each. Moreover, they were sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment and a fine of Rs 10,000 each under IPC section 376 for rape and one year’s imprisonment under IPC section 506 for criminal intimidation.
All sentences will run concurrently, the court ruled. The incident came to light when the victim became pregnant and gave birth to a boy child, said public prosecutor Sudarshan Sharma. In February 2021, the victim’s minor had gone to Prashanta Nath’s house to drink water on his way home from school.
Prashanta then lured her to his room and took advantage of his mother’s absence and committed rape. His younger brother, Pappu Debnath, witnessed the act and later blackmailed the victim. Both brothers raped the girl repeatedly, exploiting her fear of social stigma for two years, he said.
It was only when she became pregnant and gave birth that her family became aware of the horrific ordeal. A police complaint was filed in February 2022 and the investigating officer, Usha Rani Debnath, quickly filed the charge sheet within two months. The Special POCSO Court conducted a thorough trial and examined the testimonies of 23 witnesses during the trial.
The victim’s identity has not been revealed to protect her privacy as per Supreme Court guidelines on sexual assault-related cases