The two teachers who have been pronounced guilty of gang rape and aggravated penetrative sexual assault on a four-year-old girl inside a school were sentenced to rigorous imprisonment for life on Friday.
The additional session judge’s court, which announced the verdict, also imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh on each of the convicts, Abhishek Roy and Mohammad Mafisuddin, failing which another six months will be added to their jail term, public prosecutor Shibnath Adhikary said.
“Both teachers have been sentenced to life on two counts separately and fined Rs 50,000 each for each of the offences. Each is liable to pay Rs 1 lakh or attract further imprisonment of six months,” Adhikary said.
The physical education teachers were convicted under Section 376D of the IPC and Section 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act in the court of the additional sessions judge, Manas Ranjan Sanyal.
The child’s father said: “I am satisfied that at least when my daughter grows up, she will not tell me that I had not done anything for her. I am happy that she is safe now.”
Friday’s order reads: “Convicts namely Abhishek Roy and Md Mafisuddin are sentenced to suffer rigorous imprisonment for life and to pay a fine amount of Rs 50,000... each for committing the offence of gang rape upon the minor victim girl punishable under Section 376D of IPC. In default of the payment of the fine amount, the convicts shall undergo further imprisonment of six months.”
It further adds: “Both the convicts namely Abhishek Roy and Md Mafisuddin are also sentenced to suffer rigorous imprisonment for life and to pay a fine amount of Rs 50,000 for aggravated penetrative sexual assault upon the minor victim girl punishable under section 6 of Pocso Act, 2012. In default of the payment of the fine amount, the convicts shall undergo further imprisonment of six months.”
Both sentences shall run concurrently, the order said.
The court also said the “victim girl shall be entitled to get an amount of Rs 5,00,000... towards compensation for her rehabilitation, studies as well as repatriation into the mainstream of the society from Women Victim Compensation Fund subject to deduction of an amount of interim compensation if already paid to her.”
Lawyer Md Abubakar Dhali, who represented Mafisuddin, said they would move challenge the order.
Roy’s lawyer Kaustav Sil said the judgment was based on a private doctor’s opinion and statements of the child’s parents. “The doctor had got her statement recorded before the magistrate, but she neither mentioned the alleged assault in the prescription nor referred the child to another doctor,” Sil said.
