Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Guwahati: A Goalpara district court sentenced Din Islam, also known as Ali or Rahul Das, to life in prison on Saturday, August 29. The sentence concludes a case stemming from the 2016 kidnapping and sexual assault of a minor girl. The Sessions Judge-cum-Special Judge (POCSO) handed down the ruling for Dhupdhara Police Station Case No. 46/2016.
Evidence showed the accused met the victim on social media on March 13, 2016, while posing as Rahul Das. He eventually took her from Dhupdhara to Mangaldoi. Once there, the victim learned his true identity. He held her captive and forced her to change her religion to Argina before marrying her under Muslim personal law. The man moved homes repeatedly to evade the girl's parents.
The court found Islam guilty under Sections 366, 419, and 376(2)(i) of the Indian Penal Code, along with Section 4 of the POCSO Act. He received life imprisonment for the sexual assault count. The judge tacked on 10 years for kidnapping and 20 years for the POCSO violation. The convict must also pay a fine of Rs 10,000 for each of the three sections.
Sub-Inspector Anandaram Deka handled the investigation. Special Public Prosecutor Dr. Sanjay Sarma argued the state's case. Records show the conviction came more than a decade after the original filing. The court's statement noted the case involves "the prosecution of offences involving a minor under the IPC and the POCSO Act."
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