The accused in the rape of a minor girl in Bandipora has been booked under POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offence) Act, a day after the district Child Welfare Committee (CWC) asked the police to register the rape case under POCSO and not Ranbir Penal Code.
The POCSO Act calls for the designation of special courts toput offenders on trial. The law also contains detailed guidelines on how toreport a case of child sexual abuse as well as how the victim needs to be caredfor and protected by special juvenile police unit or local police.
It also aims at providing protection to children (individualbelow the age of 18) from sexual violence including sexual assault, sexualharassment, and the inclusion of children in pornography and provides forestablishment of special courts for trials of such offenders.
The law also lays down punishment for offenders ofpenetrative sexual assault and aggravated penetrative sexual assault andprovides for rigorous imprisonment for life, and a fine.
The child welfare panel had also asked police to furnish themedical report of the minor girl to the committee at the earliest. The report,however, has not been submitted before the panel yet.
A police official, who has been monitoring the case of theminor girl, said, “The final report is yet to come, but the preliminaryinvestigation reveals that the girl has been raped. But we can only say it withsurety once the final report is with us.”
The alleged rape of the minor girl has triggered protests inthe Valley and many have demanded stringent punishment for the accused, who hasbeen detained.
The police, however,have constituted a special team to investigate the case.