Kohima: A special POCSO court in Kohima sentenced 66-year-old Ngabu Kent to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment on August 4. Kent raped a 14-year-old girl in Phentejon BM village in 2019. He was 59 at the time of the crime. The court convicted him on August 3 under Section 376(3) of the Indian Penal Code and the POCSO Act.
Judge Mezivolu T. Therieh ordered Kent to pay a fine of Rs 5,000. He faces one additional year of simple imprisonment if he fails to pay. The judge dismissed arguments for leniency, stating that the victim suffered deep trauma. The court noted that the "vulnerability of the child victim constituted a significant aggravating circumstance" that outweighed any mitigating factors.
The state must pay the victim Rs 1,00,000 in compensation. The Kohima District Legal Services Authority will oversee the payout. UBSI Vikuobinuo of the Women Police Station in Kohima led the investigation. Seven witnesses testified during the trial. Special Public Prosecutor L. Sashimongla Jamir represented the state, securing the conviction after proving guilt beyond reasonable doubt. Additional Public Prosecutor Abraham credited the result to the coordinated work of the police, the prosecution, and the witnesses.
Comments