YUPIA, 8 Jun: The special POCSO court here in Papum Pare district on Monday sentenced a 37-year-old man to imprisonment for the remainder of his natural life for repeatedly raping his minor stepdaughter over a period of three years.

Special Judge (POCSO) Dr Hirendra Kashyap delivered the sentence to Tayo Pordung after convicting him under Section 376(3) of the Indian Penal Code, read with Section 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

The court also imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 on the convict. In default of payment of the fine, he will have to undergo an additional month of simple imprisonment.

According to the prosecution, represented by special public prosecutor Kagam Bagra, the victim was around 14 years old when the case came to light in June 2024. Her mother lodged a complaint at the women police station in Itanagar after the girl disclosed that her stepfather had been sexually assaulting her since she was about 11 years old.

The complaint stated that the accused repeatedly subjected the victim to penetrative sexual assault and threatened to kill her and other family members if she revealed the incidents. The abuse allegedly continued  for nearly three years before the victim finally informed her mother.

During the trial, the prosecution examined four witnesses, including the victim, her mother, the medical officer, and the investigating officer.

The court held that the prosecution had proved beyond reasonable doubt that the accused, taking advantage of his position as the victim’s stepfather, repeatedly committed aggravated penetrative sexual assault on the child, who was below 16 years of age at the time of the offences.

Rejecting the plea for leniency, the court observed that the offence was heinous in nature and had caused grave harm to the victim. The judge noted that the convict showed no remorse and was not entitled to any relief under probation laws.

Besides the POCSO conviction, the court also found Pordung guilty of criminal intimidation under Section 506 IPC and cruelty to a child under Section 75 of the Juvenile Justice Act.

The court directed that the victim be considered for compensation under the Arunachal Pradesh Victim Compensation Scheme, and informed the convict of his right to appeal before the Gauhati High Court.