A local court on Wednesday sentenced a Bathinda resident to seven years of rigorous imprisonment (RI) for raping a Zirakpur woman on the pretext of helping her secure a job.
The accused, Ashok Kumar of Hazy Raan village in Bathinda, was found guilty under Sections 376 (rape), 420 (cheating) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code, and awarded ₹70,000 fine along with the jail term.
According to the prosecution, the victim, who was unemployed at the time, had uploaded her resume online. In February 2018, she received a phone call from a person promising her a job with a monthly salary of ₹7,000-8,000, and asked her to come to Kisan Bhawan, Sector 35, Chandigarh, for an interview.
On February 23, 2018, around 7.30 pm, she reached the pre-decided spot, where Kumar was already present. Another unidentified woman also arrived shortly after. Kumar allegedly ordered cold drinks for both women. After consuming the drink, the complainant reportedly felt dizzy and lost consciousness.
When she regained consciousness, she realised she had been raped. When confronted, Kumar allegedly threatened her of dire consequences if she disclosed the incident to anyone. Further to buy her silence, he assured to help her secure a higher-paying job with a monthly salary of ₹25,000-30,000.
The woman further said that Kumar had also threatened to implicate her in a ₹6 lakh theft case after claiming that the other woman had fled with ₹1.5 lakh.
Based on the victim’s complaint, a case under Sections 376 (rape), 420 (cheating) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) was registered against Kumar at the Sector 36 police station. He subsequently applied for bail but the court denied it after noting that he was trying to exert pressure on the victim.
www.hindustantimes.com
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