Twenty years imprisonment for child abuse, judgment pronounced after five long years of trial

By Our Correspondent

Khowai, March 14, 2026

In an exemplary punishment for child abuse, the special POCSSO court judge of Khowai B.P. Debbarma yesterday sentenced an accused to twenty years rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 50 thousand for raping a minor girl. In the event of non-payment of the fine the accused shall serve six more months of imprisonment, it was proclaimed by the judge.

According to details of the case, Dhananjay Debbarma, a resident of Jorilong area under Teliamura police station, had picked up a seven yearold minor tribal girl from her parental home and raped her after taking her to a nearby jungle in July 2020. This was done at a time when the minor girl’s parents were not at home and she was alone. Dhananjay had also threatened the girl with dire consequences in case she disclosed the matter to any one including her parents. But being unable to bear pain from injuries the girl informed her parents of what she had gone through.

The girl’s parents then filed a FIR with the Teliamura police station on July 21 2020 and the inquiry officer Kamala Rani Murasing arrested Dhananjay from his home next day and the charge-sheet in the case was filed with court on October 20 2020. This was followed by the commencement of the long trial in the course of which ten witnesses gave testimony in the case conducted on the prosecution, that is, the government side, by assistant public prosecutor Ajit Sarkar. After completion of the trial the special POCSSO court judge B.P.Debbarma of Khowai yesterday sentenced the accused Dhananjay Debbarma to twenty years rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 50 thousand. In case the convict fail to pay the fine amount he will serve six more months of imprisonment. The minor girl’s parents as well as witnesses and the people of Khowai expressed satisfaction over the punishment meted out to the rapist Dhananjay Debbarma.

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