Assam: Special POSCO court sentences Guwahati minor rape convict to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment

In a major development, the special POSCO court has sentenced Kuddus Ali, the convict in the Noonmati minor rape case, to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 on the convict and ordered him to pay Rs 1 lakh in damages to the survivor girl in the Noonmati rape case.

The tragic incident had taken place in 2018 in Guwahati’s Noonmati area. Following the incident, the mother of the victim had registered a complaint with Noonmati Police in the matter. Subsequently, Noonmati Police had carried out an investigation into the case and apprehended Kuddus Ali as the prime accused in the case.

However, during the course of the investigation, the special POSCO court found Noonmati Police's probe into the matter unsatisfactory. The court observed that the police had not conducted a medical examination of the rape survivor, which was a serious lapse on their part.

This verdict comes as a positive development in the ongoing fight against crimes against minors. Earlier on February 20, Guwahati Police arrested one person for allegedly raping a minor girl in the Pandu area. According to information received, the accused had allegedly raped a 13-year-old girl. Following the incident, a complaint was filed at Jalukbari Police Station against the accused, identified as Badal Das. Based on the complaint, the police apprehended Badal in connection to the rape case and started an investigation into the matter.