Man gets 7 year jail term for raping minor neighbour

New Delhi, Jan 11 (PTI) A Delhi court today awarded sevenyears rigorous imprisonment to a man for raping several timeshis minor neighbour, who later became pregnant, during aperiod of five months in 2006.

"Keeping in view the facts, circumstances of the caseand the act done by the convict, I am of the view that he isnot entitled to any leniency since he had raped a minor girlwho does not understand the ups and downs of the society,"Additional Sessions Judge Suresh Chand Rajan said.

The court also imposed a fine of Rs 3,000 on convictRamesh Patel after holding him guilty under section 376 (rape)and 506 (intimidation) of the IPC.

The defence of accused that in fact, he was compelledby the girl to establish relations with her to satisfy hersexual urge boomeranged as the court treated it as a crucialevidence against him establishing the offence of rape.

"The accused has specifically stated that the victimoffered herself for satisfaction of her wish and she herselfcompelled him to satisfy her desire of having sex with him...

so the accused himself has admitted that he had committedsexual intercourse with the prosecutrix," it said, adding thatthe rape was established as the girl was a minor.

An FIR was lodged on September 27, 2006, by theparents of the victim, who were supported by NGO ''Prayas'',against the the accused alleging he had raped her in her housewhen she was alone.

The accused, who was living in the neighbourhood, usedto visit the house of the victim on the pretext of charginghis mobile phone.

The medical reports suggested that the victim waspregnant.