Hisar: A local court sentenced a man to 20 years in prison for the rape of a minor girl at a brick kiln in Bhiwani, in a case that first surfaced when the victim was discovered to be pregnant nearly nine months after the assault.
Additional sessions judge Sunil Jindal convicted the accused, identified as Rakesh alias Kaku, and imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh in addition to the custodial sentence. The case dates back approximately four years.
The victim, then 17 years old, had travelled with her family to work at a brick kiln in Bhiwani. According to her complaint, in the early hours of April 2021, she had stepped out of her hut to answer nature's call when an unidentified man grabbed her from behind and raped her.
The attacker fled when she raised an alarm. The case remained undetected for months. Initialy, the survivor did not suspect she was pregnant. However, on the night of Jan 24, when the pain became severe, she informed her mother. She was rushed to hospital, where doctors informed the family that she was pregnant and in labour. It was then that the victim disclosed the April 2021 rape as the cause of her pregnancy.
Police registered a case against an unknown accused on her complaint and initially transferred the investigation to Sadar Bhiwani Police Station. The case was subsequently returned to Hisar police, who identified and arrested Rakesh alias Kaku. The court, after trial, found him guilty and handed down the 20-year sentence.
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