A Chhattisgarh court has sentenced a 41-year-old man to life imprisonment till his natural death for raping his minor daughter, observing that he does not deserve any leniency.
Special Judge of fast track court in Durg, Subhra Pachouri, convicted the accused on Saturday under Indian Penal Code Section 376-AB (rape on woman below 12 years of age) for raping his 17-year-old daughter at home since last five years, Additional Public Prosecutor Kamal Kishore Verma told PTI.
The court also imposed a collective fine of Rs 20,100 on the accused.
The judge in her order observed that in view of the circumstances of the case and the increasing incidents of sexual offences against innocent minor girls, the accused, who is the victim's father, "deserves no leniency".
According to the prosecution, on June 30 this year, the victim went to Pulgaon police station in Durg district, located around 50 km from here, with her mother and lodged a complaint that her father had been raping her since 2014 in their house.
The victim told the police that she could not muster courage earlier to inform anyone about the offence as the accused had threatened her with dire consequences.
Later, when the accused also raped his younger daughter, aged 14, the two sisters informed their mother about it, Verma said.
While the younger daughter lodged a complaint in this connection on June 29, the elder one approached police the next day, Verma said.
The accused was immediately arrested and booked under IPC Section 376-AB and provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
Two separate cases were lodged against him on complaints filed by his two daughters.
The hearing in the case lodged by the younger daughter is scheduled for next month, Verma added.