Agartala, March 7, 2025: The Kamalpur Additional Sessions Court on Thursday sentenced a man to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment under the POCSO Act for the rape of a six-year-old girl. The convict Chandan Mali (35) was also handed a six-month jail term for failing to pay a fine of Rs 10,000.
Government prosecutor Advocate Indu Bhushan Deb confirmed the verdict stating, “The court has delivered justice for the heinous crime committed against an innocent child. This sentence should serve as a strong warning to others.”
It is informed that, on September 7, 2022 around 8 AM, Chandan Mali, a resident of Santoshi Para in Tripura’s Chhota Surma Panchayat under Dhalai district forcibly entered the victim’s house and sexually assaulted the six-year-old when she was alone. The mother of the girl later filed a rape case at Kamalpur Police Station.
Initially, Second Police Officer Samaresh Das took charge of the investigation and arrested the accused. The case was registered under Kamalpur Police Station Case No. 50/2022, invoking Sections 447, 376 AB, 323, 307 IPC and Section 6 of the POCSO Act, 2012. Subsequently, female police officer Pumpi Das took over the investigation and submitted the charge sheet to the POCSO court.
After examining the testimonies of 24 witnesses, Kamalpur Additional Sessions Judge Samyabikash Das pronounced the verdict, sentencing Mali to 20 years under Section 6 of the POCSO Act. Additionally, under Section 506 IPC, he was fined Rs 1,000 with a two-month jail term in default of payment.
“This verdict upholds the rights of victims and reinforces the judicial system’s commitment to punishing such crimes,” said Advocate Deb.
