Varanasi: A special Pocso court in Varanasi has sentenced a 35-year-old man convicted of sexual assault and circulating child sexual abuse material (CSAM) to life imprisonment for the remainder of his life, holding that stringent punishment is necessary to deter such crimes.The court also directed the DM to chalk out an action plan for an awareness drive at the school and community levels to protect children from sexual offences.The judgment was pronounced by special judge (Pocso Act) Nitin Pandey in a case investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).The court sentenced Ravi Kumar Patel of Madhwa area in Varanasi under Section 6 (aggravated penetrative sexual assault) of the Pocso Act, along with a fine of Rs 1 lakh. He was also awarded 20-years rigorous imprisonment under Section 4 (penetrative sexual assault) of the Pocso Act with a fine of Rs 50,000, besides separate sentences under other provisions of the Pocso Act, IT Act, and six months’ imprisonment under Sections 376 (rape) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of IPC.All the sentences will run concurrently. The court further ordered that 70% of the total fine amount of Rs 2.8 lakh be paid to the survivor as compensation to support her higher education and rehabilitation.According to special public prosecutor Santosh Kumar Singh, the case was initially related to the collection and circulation of child sexual abuse material in electronic form. Acting on credible intelligence, the CBI registered a case against the accused on June 27, 2022, under Section 67-B of the IT Act. During the investigation, the CBI uncovered further serious offences, including sexual assault and criminal intimidation.The CBI conducted a meticulous and thorough investigation and built a watertight case against the accused. During the investigation, seamless coordination was ensured with forensic experts, medical experts dealing with child sexual abuse cases and child protection authorities. The investigation also remained sensitive towards the minor victim while conducting interviews and ensured emotional well-being through counselling. After conclusion of the investigation, the CBI filed A chargesheet on Sep 6, 2022. Charges were framed on March 23, 2023.To prove the case, the prosecution examined 11 key witnesses, including the survivor, her mother, the chairperson of the Child Welfare Committee, a bank official, CBI investigating officer inspector Robin Singh, the nodal officer of a telecommunication company, and a forensic science expert from Gandhinagar. The court relied on witness testimonies, digital and electronic evidence, and prosecution documents to hold the charges proved beyond reasonable doubt.
