Delhi court sends school teacher in jail for life in minor's rape case

NEW DELHI: A Delhi court has sentenced a teacher to life imprisonment for raping and impregnating his 15-year-old student in 2016 and observed being in a position similar to a parent, the man exploited the trust for his "depraved gratification". Additional sessions judge Rajesh Kumar was hearing the arguments on sentencing against the man, who was 46 at the time of offence.

The man was convicted for rape under IPC and aggravated pentrative sexual assault under Protection of Children against Sexual Offences Act. Special public prosecutor Ashish Kajal sought a "deterrent punishment" arguing the convict was in the noble teaching profession aside from being the minor survivor's guardian at school. In an order passed on May 7, the court said, "The convict Rajeev despite being the school teacher, repeatedly committed rape/aggravated penetrative sexual assault upon the victim in the school and due to the act, the minor got pregnant and also gave birth to a baby boy."

Psychological trauma highlighted

The court said it appeared that "passion/lust had overpowered him" to such an extent that he committed the offence upon the survivor. "The fact that the accused was in a position of loco parentis to the victim, and exploited that trust for his own depraved gratification, is a severely aggravating factor," it added.

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The verdict went on, "The trauma inflicted upon the victim was not merely physical, but it was a deep psychological wound that might take years to heal. The tender age of the victim and the long-lasting trauma she was likely to suffer as a result of this abhorrent act cannot be understated." The convict did not deserve any leniency for the aggravating circumstances outweighed the mitigating circumstances, the court held.

Rs 16.5 Lakh compensation granted

"Keeping in view the paramount need to protect the children from sexual offences, gravity of the offence, vulnerability of the victim, the need to uphold the principles of justice and to send a strong message to the society, this court is of the considered opinion that this is a fit case for awarding the stringent sentence," the judge said. Life imprisonment means a convict spending the remainder of their natural life in prison. Observing the survivor died a few years after the crime, the judge awarded Rs 16.5 lakh compensation to her mother.