Patna school principal sentenced to death for raping minor student

A Patna court has awarded the death penalty to a private school principal for raping and impregnating his 11-year-old student in the year 2018.

The court also ordered Rs 15 lakh compensation to the girl.

A fine of Rs 1 lakh was also imposed on the accused principal identified as Arvind Kumar. Co-convict Abhishek Kumar was sentenced to life imprisonment and fined Rs 50,000. The sentences were given on Monday.

The judgement was given by Additional Special judge-cum-special judge POCSO Act, Awadesh Kumar.

The judgement read, "Considering the nature of this case against the main accused Arvind Kumar, who has committed rape with the victim, I am unable to impose the sentence less than Capital. Hence, I impose death penalty against the convict Arvind Kumar for offences u/s 376 (DB), u/s 6 of POCSO Act read with 120 (B) of IPC and fine of Rs 1 lakh. Convict Arvind Kumar further sentenced u/s 506 of IPC Rigorous Imprisonment for two years and fine of Rs 5,000. The death sentence shall not be executed without confirmation by the Honourable Court Patna as per provision u/s 366 of Cr.P.C."

"So far other co-convict Abhishek Kumar is concerned, his act was to common intention to commit rape with the victim by his Principal Arvind Kumar. So I impose, Life Imprisonment and fine if Rd 50,000 for the offence u/s 376 (DB) read with Section 120 (B) of IPC to convict namely Abhishek Kumar," the judgement from the court read.

According to the judgement, the prosecution case in short, is that the informant who is the mother of the victim has given a written petition to the SHO, Mahila police station Gardbagh, Patna with the allegation that her daughter about 11 years old, a student of class 5 in a school in Phulwarisharif. The informant further stated that principal of the school Arvind Kumar, resident of Phulwarisharif committed sexual offence with her daughter and he also made a video of such occurrence and on the pretext to viral the video graph, Arvind Kumar blackmailed her daughter.

As per the judgement, it has been further stated that another teacher Abhishek Kumar resident of Phulwarisharif, Patna also helped and associated in committing rape by Principal Arvind Kumar.

Arvind Kumar regularly called the victim on the pretext to check her handwriting and committed sexual offence, the judgement noted.

According to the judgement, due to fear, the victim does not want to go to school and when asked by her mother, the victim stated the events in which the school Principal committed sexual offence with her that resulted in she became pregnant. The victim started vomiting then the informant conduted a pregnancy test and it was found positive.

The judgement added, it is stated further by the informant that accused committed sexual offence with the victim on knife point.

( With inputs from ANI )