Court sentences woman for helping her husband in committing rape

New Delhi, Feb 23 (UNI) A city court today sentenced a woman to life imprisonment for abetting her husband in raping her niece in Delhi cantonment three years ago.

Patiala House Court Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) S K Kaushik, held Saroj, a 35-year-old woman guilty of helping her husband, Punnu in raping her niece and sentenced her to life imprisonment. The court declared the other accused, Punnu, as a proclaimed offender (PO), as the police failed to arrest him so far.

The court further slapped a fine of Rs 1500 on Saroj.

The crime was committed when the victim came to stay with her uncle and aunt in 2003.

Punnu raped her and when she complained it to her aunt, she abused her and remained a mute spectator. Saroj had abetted the offence of gangrape and forced her into prostitution, according to the prosecution.

The victim deposed before the court that, Punnu, with the help of some other accomplice also gangraped her. After the incident, a doctor helped her through legal assistance, according to the prosecution.

The judge in its order said: ''The convict had been entrusted the responsibility of care and protection of the victim. She should had been on the forefront to see that the victim was taken care of like her own daughter.'' Saroj was convicted under sections 109 (Abettment to suicide), 376 (G) (Gangrape) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and 5 (Forcing a person to prostitution) of the Immoral Trafficking Act.

UNI XC MA HS1845