Farmer gets 15 years’ RI for raping woman in 2019

Pilibhit: A local court on Saturday sentenced a 45-year-old farmer to 15 years’ rigorous imprisonment for raping a 38-year-old woman in 2019. Additional district and sessions judge Anu Saxena also imposed a fine of Rs 20,000 on the convict, with a provision for an additional three months’ imprisonment in case of non-payment.The incident took place on Aug 15, 2019, when the woman was cutting grass in a sugarcane field. The convict grabbed her and raped her. Her husband, working in a nearby field, rushed to the spot after hearing her screams and rescued her.Police registered an FIR the same night on a complaint lodged by the survivor’s husband under IPC sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) and 376 (rape). The survivor was sent for medical examination and evidence was collected from the spot.“The offence was corroborated by the medical report,” said Ravi Gangwar, additional district govt counsel (ADGC). Police filed a chargesheet on Nov 11, 2019. Besides the 15-year sentence under IPC Section 376, the court also sentenced the man to one year’s rigorous imprisonment under IPC Section 323 and imposed a fine of Rs 1,000.“The court ordered both sentences to run concurrently,” Gangwar said.