A man has been sentenced by a Delhi court to seven years in jail for kidnapping his 16-year-old niece and raping her after administering sedatives to her.
Additional Sessions Judge Vijay Kumar Dahiya convicted 57-year-old Haryana native Mahesh Goel for raping his neice saying a 'sexual violence degrades and humiliates' the victim and subjects her to a 'traumatic experience'.
"Sexual violence degrades and humiliates the victim and it leaves behind a traumatic experience. A rapist not only causes physical injuries but leaves an indelible scar..
"Rape is not only a crime against the person of a woman, it is a crime against the entire society," the court said, while also imposing a fine of Rs 12,000 on Goel.
The accused was arrested by police in December 2010 on complaint of the victim's mother that her sister's husband Goel had kidnapped her minor daughter on the pretext of curing her from the influence of supernatural forces.
The prosecution said the accused after kidnapping the girl, took her to his village and raped her there after giving her sedative-laced food. It said Goel kept the girl with him for 20 days and raped her repeatedly.
Terming the statements of the victim and other witnesses as 'truthful and trustworthy', the court held Goel guilty of kidnapping and raping the minor girl.
"It is evident that the convict treated the prosecutrix only as an object to fulfil his sexual desire. The offence committed by the convict is grave, heinous and utterly abominable, therefore, he does not deserves any leniency," the judge said.