Youth gets life term for raping mentally challenged minor

A fast-track court in Jammu and Kashmir today sentenced a youth to life imprisonment for kidnapping and raping a mentally challenged minor girl in 2008.
Additional Sessions Judge Sanjeev Gupta also imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 on convict Nikhil Sharma for the crime against the 12-year-old girl.
"In view of the discussion made above and on the facts and circumstances of the case, after taking into consideration aggravating and mitigating circumstances available on the record, convict is sentenced to undergo rigorous imprisonment for life and fine of Rs 50,000 under Section 376 RPC (rape)," Gupta stated in his order.

In default, the convict shall undergo simple imprisonment for six months, rigorous imprisonment for seven years and a fine of Rs 5,000 under 363 RPC (kidnapping), the judge said.
Nikhil abducted the girl on May 25, 2008 and committed rape on her in Palwan belt of Akhnoor teshil in Jammu district.
A case was registered against him on the complaint of the girl's father. Nikhil was subsequently arrested, but he later got bail.
"The prosecutrix was about 10 years of age at the time of occurrence. She was a semi-mentally retarded girl who was dealt with animal passion by the accused, thereby shattering her dignity and purity of physical frame," the judge said, adding that rape cases and cases relating to crime against women, particularly young female children, had alarmingly increased in the recent time.

The accused is on bail, but his bail bond and personal bond stand cancelled and he be taken into custody and sent to the district jail in Jammu.