New Delhi:
A man, who was convicted for sexually assaulting a 10-year-old boy and threatening to kill him, has been sent to six years in jail by a Delhi court which said deterrent punishment was required in such horrific crimes to discourage the evil elements from indulging in these acts.
Metropolitan Magistrate Ashok Kumar said in such cases leniency should not be shown by believing that the offenders will reform, and in view of the conduct of convict Ram Bhawan, a resident of Kidwai Nagar here, reformative theory does not apply on him.
The court awarded three years jail term each to Ram for sexually assaulting and threatening to kill the victim child and said he will have to serve the sentence one after the other.
"I am in agreement with the submission of the prosecutor that a deterrent punishment should be imposed in this case as such act not only has an adverse impact on the mind and health of the children of tender years but society at large is affected by such horrific crimes.
"A deterrent punishment is necessary to reassure the victim and the society at large that the state will act with its full might and will have the retribution on behalf of the victim to satisfy their conscience and also to discourage such evil elements in society to think several times before repeating the conduct as done by the convict in this case," Metropolitan Magistrate Ashok Kumar said.
The court also imposed a fine of Rs 20,000 on Ram. According to the prosecution, on November 3, 2011, when the minor boy was playing outside his house, Ram, who was known to the child, came to him and asked to accompany him saying he would give him some money.
Ram took the child to the stairs of a building and committed unnatural sex with him, police said, adding that, he gave Rs six to the minor and threatened to kill him if he disclosed the incident to anyone.
The child, who was in pain, told his mother about the incident and a case was lodged at Kotla Mubarakpur police station against Ram.
During the trial, Ram took the plea that nothing has happened as alleged against him in the case and refused to lead any evidence in his defence.
Ram sought leniency in sentence saying that he was the sole bread earner in his family comprising wife, four children and parents.
The prosecutor, however, sought stern punishment for Ram saying it was a serious offence and these incidents are rising where innocent victims of tender years are subjected to very unnatural and perverted desires of people like the convict.