Life-term for rape accused in Gujarat

A sessions court has awarded life imprisonment to a man accused of raping a 13-year-old girl at Bhorana near Jam Khambhalia in Jamnagar district.

As per the case records, the girl was raped by Iqbal Juma Chamadia in February 2011. The victim was alone at her residence that night and the accused had threatened to kill her with a knife. The incident came to light only when the girl was declared pregnant. The accused was arrested following a complaint filed with the Marine police station at Vadinar. Ironically, while the case was being heard at the sessions court in Khabhalia, the victim gave birth to a child.

“After filing the chargesheet, we produced 18 witnesses and 34 documents in support of our argument. However, the biggest proof was the DNA test of the child. The test proved that the father of the child is none other than the accused,” said additional public prosecutor KD Vadgama.

“To set an example in the society, the accused should be punished. The victim has lost her social status and suffered grave mental trauma. The accused is found guilty under sections 376, 341 and 506 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC),” the court observed in its judgement.

The accused has been sentenced for life, besides being asked to pay a fine of Rs25,000. If the accused fails to pay the fine, his jail-term will be increased by two more years. For threatening the life of the victim, he has been sentenced for two years under section 502 of IPC.