5-year term for rapist who attacked mentally challenged child

A paralytic has been sentenced to five years in jail by a Delhi court for trying to rape an intellectually and physically challenged minor girl.

Additional sessions judge Kamini Lau sentenced 35-year-old paralytic Raj Kishore, for “digitally raping” and molesting his 14-year-old neighbour after confining her in his room. Digital rape involves rape by fingers.

While sentencing Raj Kishore, the court said though the convict is suffering from paralysis on right side of his body, he is normal with sensation and there is no problem on his left side.

“No doubt convict Raj Kishore is physically handicapped but I may observe that the victim herself is physically deformed and mentally much behind her age (retardation),” the judge said, while also imposing a fine of Rs 10,000 upon him.

According to the prosecution, the incident took place in February this year when the victim, who is unable to speak clearly, was at her home in Haiderpur with her siblings while her mother had gone for work.

The accused, her neighbour, called the girl to his house on pretext of some cleaning work and started misbehaving with her after bolting the door, it said.

He molested the minor and caused grievous hurt to her while trying to rape her, police told the court, adding the girl’s brother rushed to her help after hearing her cries.

Her brother called their mother and she informed police about the incident and the accused was arrested.

The convict had sought leniency on the ground of being physically disabled, but the court denied it saying medical and forensic evidence and the oral testimony of the victim make it evident that he had attempted to rape her but he could not succeed due to girl’s resistance.