India | POCSO court awards death penalty to repeat offender in rape case

Itanagar, Apr 27: A special POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) court in Arunachal Pradesh’s Yupia has sentenced a 44-year-old man to death for repeatedly raping his minor relative in 2019, terming the offence a “rarest of rare” case marked by a grave breach of trust.

Special Judge (POCSO) Dr Hirendra Kashyap convicted Lakang Tallang under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including rape by a person in a position of trust and criminal intimidation, read with Section 6 of the POCSO Act.

The court held that the accused, the victim’s maternal uncle, exploited his position of trust to commit aggravated penetrative sexual assault.

According to the prosecution, led by Special Public Prosecutor Kagam Bagra, the incident occurred on June 4, 2019. The minor girl, then a primary school student, was being escorted from Seppa to her elder sister’s residence in Doimukh.

Entrusted by the family to accompany her, the accused allegedly diverted the vehicle to an isolated stretch near Kheel, threatened her with a dao (machete), and raped her in a roadside jungle.

During the trial, the prosecution examined 11 witnesses, including the victim, her family members, medical experts, and the investigating officer. The victim’s testimony, recorded under Section 164 of the CrPC, was found to be consistent and credible.

The court awarded the death penalty under Section 6 of the POCSO Act and imposed a fine of ₹1 lakh.

The case has been referred to the Gauhati High Court for confirmation. The District Legal Services Authority has been asked to pay adequate compensation to the victim as provided under the Arunachal Pradesh Victim’s Compensation Act, 2011.

Source: hubnetwork.in, Staff, April 27, 2026

"One is absolutely sickened, not by the crimes that the wicked have committed,
but by the punishments that the good have inflicted."

— Oscar Wilde

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