Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Aizawl: A Mizoram fast-track court sentenced 42-year-old Lalbiakengi to 12 years of rigorous imprisonment on Thursday. Judge R. Vanlalena found her guilty of forcing her minor daughter into prostitution over an 18-month span. The abuse occurred between January 2023 and July 2024.
Prosecutors proved the mother traded her daughter for cash and booze. She specifically targeted non-local truck drivers and railway construction workers. The victim was exploited repeatedly at locations in and around Kutbul and New Khamrang near Kawnpui. The mother collected roughly Rs 500 and alcohol for each encounter.
The case hit the system on August 5, 2024. That is when a formal FIR was lodged at the Kawnpui Police Station. Police moved fast. Officers arrested Lalbiakengi and her co-accused, 80-year-old Indra Bahadur Bandhari Chhetri of Kutbul.
The court examined seven witnesses during the trial. The victim gave testimony that helped seal the conviction. Judge Vanlalena also weighed medical evidence and statements from the investigating officer. Regarding the severity of the crime, the prosecution maintained the woman facilitated the abuse: "The prosecution established that the woman repeatedly sent the minor to non-local truck drivers and railway construction workers, allegedly receiving around Rs 500 and alcohol in return on multiple occasions."
Police filed a formal chargesheet after concluding their investigation. The judge finalized the sentence following the trial. The mother will now serve her time in prison.
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