75-Year-Old Man Sentenced To Life Imprisonment For ‘Digital Rape’ Of Minor. Here’s What We Know About The Offence
A 75-year-old man identified as Akbar Ali from West Bengal was sentenced to life imprisonment for the digital rape of a 3-year-old girl on August 31. The horrible incident took place in the year 2019 in the Sector 39 Police Station area of Noida, Uttar Pradesh. In January 2019, a complaint was filed against the accused by the victim’s father.
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In a statement, Neetu Bishnoi – Special Public Prosecutor mentioned that the complainant said his daughter was playing outside her home at 11 am when the accused man lured her with toffee and took her to his own room. The father of the minor survivor said that his daughter came home crying and revealed her ordeal to her mother. The survivor also testified in court and said that one day she was playing outside when Akbar Ali lured her with toffee and took her into his son-in-law’s house and sexually assaulted her. Dr Pushpalata, who conducted the medical examination of the minor said in her report that there was no injury mark on the private part. She added that in her medical report, any rape can’t be confirmed with a medical inspection and the internal inspection of the girl was found to be normal.
Also Read: In Noida, Police Arrests 81-Year-Old Man For ‘Digital Rape’ Of 17-Year-Old Girl
Akbar Ali’s granddaughter claimed that her grandfather is innocent and the case is false. However, her testimony did not work in court. After that, the court convicted Akbar Ali of life imprisonment under POCSO Act and imposed a fine of Rs 50,000. His lawyer mentioned that the judgement was not satisfactory and they will challenge this order in the high court.
What Does The Term ‘Digital Rape’ Means?
For the unversed, Digital Rape is not related to an offence committed digitally or virtually, it has nothing to do with the online or virtual world. As per the English dictionary, the fingers, thumbs, and toes are known as ‘digit’. So, the term ‘digital rape’ actually means forcibly inserting fingers or toes inside a person’s private parts without their consent.
Digital Rape fell under molestation and not rape until December 2012. But after the Nirbhaya gang rape case, new rape laws were introduced in the parliament. After that, the act was classified as a sexual offence under Section 375 in case the victim is an adult, and it was also added to the POCSO ACT, known as the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act for cases where the victim is a minor.
Also Read: For The Fifth Consecutive Year, Assam Ranks Highest In The State List For Crimes Against Women.
As per the law, the accused, if convicted, can be sentenced to at least five years in prison. However, in some cases, the punishment can be extended to ten years or life imprisonment with or without a fine.
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