The Delhi court has sentenced a 50-year-old man to life imprisonment for ravaging his minor niece, allowing others to rape her and forcing her into prostitution. The court convicted Uttar Pradesh resident Pannu for six offences — rape, gang-rape, criminal intimidation, criminal conspiracy, wrongful confinement and procuring the girl for prostitution.
Additional Sessions Judge Virender Bhat sentenced Pannu to 10 years rigorous imprisonment (RI) for conspiracy, 10 years jail for rape, 14 years for immoral trafficking and life term, saying that the sentences would not run concurrently. The court said the crime committed by the convict was “abhorrent, diabolic and barbaric.” It said he had brought the minor from her village in 2003 after her father’s death on the assurance that he would take care of her. He instead made her “prey to his sexual lust.” The judge noted: “He did not stop at that, but made her consume liquor forcibly and dance naked, following which she was gang-raped by the convict and his cronies. He also forced the minor girl into the sex trade.”
“The convict had been doing all this with the tacit approval of his wife,” the judge said.The court said that the “beastly and dastardly” acts of Pannu make this a case of incestuous rape, which is unpardonable. A complaint was made to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) by the girl’s employer after she narrated her ordeal. A case was lodged against the accused by the police.