BY TC News Desk
Agartala, 25th January 2024 : A Tripura State Rifles (TSR) jawan, Babul Das, was convicted and sentenced to 20 years in jail and a fine of Rs 2 lakh for raping a minor girl in Vishalgarh in September 2020. The Additional District and Sessions Judge of Sepahijala district at Bishalgarh Sub-Divisional Court delivered the verdict on Thursday, after hearing the statements of 13 witnesses and examining the charge sheet filed by the investigating officer, Jhuma Das.
According to the prosecution, Babul Das, who was working in TSR 11 battalion, forcibly raped the girl in Vishalgarh police station area on September 17, 2020. The girl’s family lodged a complaint at Bishalgarh Women’s Police Station on September 19, 2020, following which the police arrested Babul Das and produced him before the court. He was remanded in judicial custody and the trial began.
The court found Babul Das guilty under Section 376 AB of the Indian Penal Code, which deals with rape of a girl under 12 years of age, and imposed the maximum punishment of 20 years imprisonment and a fine of Rs 2 lakh, with an additional two years imprisonment in case of default.
The court also convicted him under Section 506 of the Indian Penal Code, which deals with criminal intimidation, and sentenced him to three years imprisonment and a fine of Rs 5,000, with an additional six months imprisonment in case of default. The court said that the two sentences will run concurrently and the fine amount will be given to the victim if paid by the accused.
The victim’s family expressed their satisfaction with the court’s judgment and said that justice has been done. They also thanked the police and the prosecution for their efforts.