A Court in Srinagar has finally convicted a man for the rape of a minor girl from the Soura area in 2012, marking the end of an 11-year trial. The presiding officer of the 2nd Additional Session Judge, Renu Dogra Gupta, deemed the crime a “crime against society” and delivered a scathing indictment of the accused’s actions.
The court established that at the time of the heinous act, the accused, a married individual, was residing with his wife in a rented room neighboring the victim’s residence. The victim, who was merely a fourth-grade student at the time, would often visit the accused’s place to play with his younger brother. Tragically, during one of these innocent visits, the accused silenced the girl by gagging her and subjected her to a brutal act of rape. He then threatened her to ensure her silence.
The court, recognizing the profound impact on the victim’s life, stated, “She has lost everything including honor, dignity, education, etc. She became a helpless victim of a diabolic person whose sin was only this — that she used to go to the accused’s rented residence for playing with his younger brother, and the innocent child was made prey to lust by the accused.”
Emphasizing that the accused, being a grown adult and married, was fully aware of the consequences of his “barbaric act,” the court condemned this crime against a child as a crime against society itself. The court concluded that the prosecution had successfully proven the accused’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, and he was convicted under Section 376 of the Ranbir Penal Code (RPC), which pertains to rape offenses.
Following the conviction, the court ordered the accused to be sent to judicial custody in the central jail in Srinagar. It is worth mentioning that the case came to light after the victim’s father took her to the hospital due to abdominal pain, where doctors discovered she was pregnant. The girl disclosed that Irshad Ahmad, a tenant residing in their neighborhood, had raped her multiple times.
The police promptly registered a case (FIR No 33/2012) under Section 376 RPC at the Soura Police Station and initiated an investigation. The victim’s age was verified to be 14 years old, leading to the arrest of the accused, Irshad Ahmad. Subsequently, a charge sheet was filed on June 23, 2012, based on the evidence collected during the investigation. The trial ensued, culminating in the long-awaited conviction of Irshad Ahmad, presently residing in Anchar Soura, under Section 376 RPC.
This conviction stands as a significant milestone in the pursuit of justice for victims of sexual assault, underscoring the importance of a thorough investigation and a fair and expeditious judicial process. It serves as a reminder that no crime, particularly one as heinous as the rape of a minor, will go unpunished. The verdict represents a collective victory for the survivor, the legal system, and society at large, sending a resolute message that such crimes will be met with severe consequences.
