Trial completed in five hours, rape accused convicted

Patna, Oct 20 (UNI) It's a record of sorts in the Indian judicial history when Rohtas district judge pronounced the judgment within five hours of hearing the case, sentencing a rape accused to five-year rigorous imprisonment.

District judge Arun Srivastav made Deo Kumar Chaudhary guilty of attempting to rape a minor girl on July 23 and sentenced him to five years of rigorous imprisonment.

In fact the court concluded the deposition of the victim and six witnesses, including the father and brother of the girl, besides the investgating officer as well as defendant in just four hours.

The next one hour was needed by the judge to deliver the judgment.

According to the prosecution, an eight-year-old girl along with her five-year-old brother was on way to collect fodder for domestic cattle when the convict Deo, a 30-year-old farm worker lured them with a five rupee note to a secluded place in a poultry farm at Dhawa.

He then tried to rape her in presence of her brother but villagers came to the rescue following alarms raised by the sibling. Villagers succeeded in saving the girl but Deo managed to escape from the spot.

Rohtas Police Superindentdent N H Khan said the girl's father Sudarshan Chaudhary lodged a complaint with Nokha police station on July 25 last charging Deo with trying to outrage the modesty of his daughter.

The chagesheet was submitted in the court within 20 days of the incident, he added.

On the request of police, the district and sessions judge agreed to conduct the trial on priority basis, he said.

The girl and the convict are the residents of Dhawa village under Nokha police station in Rohtas district.

UNI XC-BNG SJC SHB DS1315