Tripura: Man sentenced to 12 yrs for kidnapping, sexually assaulting minor sister-in-law

Agartala: The District and Sessions Court of Tripura's Gomati district on Tuesday convicted a middle-aged man and sentenced him to 12 years of imprisonment for the kidnapping and sexual assault of his minor sister-in-law three years ago.

The convict was identified as Rajib Karmakar, a resident of Amarpur who was convicted under Section 363 of the Indian Penal Code and the POCSO Act, which imprisoned him for 12 years and slapped him with a fine of Rs 10,000 and three months imprisonment in default, said Special Public Prosecutor Paltu Das.

According to the report, Rajib had been torturing his wife for a few months after solemnizing the marriage in 2020. The trouble brewed up after he made inappropriate proposals and showed unusual behaviour towards his sister-in-law on several occasions. The situation escalated on June 3, 2021, when Karmakar sent his wife to a relative's house near Agartala. Taking advantage of the absence of his wife, he kidnapped his sister-in-law while she was on her way to a tutor's house and took her to Chennai. Karmakar had rented a house there and continued to live with his sister-in-law, subjecting her to multiple instances of forced sexual assault, but the family was not aware of the situation.

The convict's father-in-law registered a case against Rajib, accusing him of kidnapping his minor daughter at Kakraban Police Station. During the investigation, about a month later, police spotted Rajib with the minor girl at Agartala airport and arrested him. The victim narrated her ordeal in Chennai, and the accused had also admitted the crime to the police.

The investigating officer meticulously compiled evidence and submitted a charge sheet, initiating the trial of the case, and the court recorded the testimonies of 16 witnesses. After a long trial, the court convicted him and pronounced the judgment.