Man gets 10 yrs imprisonment in attempted rape case

Ahmedabad, Feb 17 (PTI) A local court today sentenced a man to 10 years of imprisonment in for attempting to rape and sexually harass a seven-year-old girl. One Abdul Kadar Sheikh, who hails from Bihar, was today sentenced to 10 years in prison by additional principal sessions judge Jyotsna Yagnik, who also imposed a fine of Rs 13,000 on him. The court has ordered that out of the fine amount, Rs 11,000 should be given to the victim. The accused is of the age of the girl's father and has tried to take advantage of the victim's poverty, the court observed. "Such people should not be tolerated by the society and need to be punished severely," it further observed while pronouncing the sentence. Public prosecutor in the case Mukesh Kapadia said that the court has also ordered the state government to take care of the minor rape victim and compensate under provisions of the Criminal Injuries Relief and Rehabilitation Board for Rape Victims. Last month, the government had issued notification for constitution of the board at state and district levels, in compliance with the direction of the Supreme Court, he said. According to case details, the incident took place in October 2010, when the minor girl, an orphan, was staying with her grandmother in Narol area of the city. The accused Sheikh, who used to make leather purses just opposite the girl's house, used to molest her after luring her with some money. The girl, after a few such instances, felt pain in her abdomen and told about the incidents to the neighbouring women. The women then set up a trap and caught Sheikh in the act, when he tried to repeat his act on October 10, 2010, and got him arrested. After a trial over one year, Sheikh was today convicted for attempt to rape and sexual harassment of a minor and sentenced to 10 years in prison.