Tripura Court sentences brothers to 20 years in prison for raping minor

Dharmanagar Special Court has sentenced two brothers, Prashant and Pappu Debnath, to 20 years of imprisonment each for the horrific rape of a minor girl in 2022.

The incident took place in Anandabazar under the North District, where the victim, a school student, had gone to fetch water at a familiar house. It was there that Prashant Debnath allegedly lured the girl into the house and raped her.

"Witnessing this, his younger brother Pappu then began blackmailing the victim and raped her multiple times, leading to her becoming pregnant," Advocate Sadarshan Sharma said.

He said that the case was registered on February 12, 2022, with the Dharmanagar Women Police Station. "Sub-inspector Usharani Debnath of the Dharmanagar Women Police Station was appointed as the investigating officer and successfully submitted the inquiry report within two months," he added.

During the trial, crucial testimony from 23 neighbours provided strong evidence against the accused. The special court, under Section 376(2)(N) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), sentenced Prashanta to ten years in prison and an additional six months without the option of paying a fine of Rs 10,000. Pappu was also sentenced to one year in jail, with a Rs 1,000 fine and one month of additional imprisonment under Section 506 of the IPC.

Furthermore, the court pronounced a cumulative sentence of 20 years in prison and a fine of Rs 25,000 under Section 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, along with an additional eight months in default of payment.