The Special Judge Fast track special Court number 1 Manipur, Salam Imocha on Monday convicted 22-year-old Potshangbam Johnson under section 4 of POCSO Act for committing sexual assault on a minor girl on February 9, 2019. The sentence hearing has been fixed on November 16 to announce the quantum of punishment.
The convict Potshangbam Johnson, 22, son of Birendra of Keishamthong Hodam Leirak, who is presently on bail in connection with the case, appeared before the court on Monday and soon after the judgment order, the convict was taken into custody and remanded into judicial custody.
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The case was on after a complaint was filed by the father of the minor victim stating that on 9 February, 2019 at around 10 am, his minor daughter was kidnapped by the convict from Hiyangthang Bazzar when she went to buy some kitchen items and concealed her with the ambition to make her the convict’s wife without the consent of minor.
During the course of investigation, the minor was rescued and the culprit arrested on February 22, 2019 from Kabinam Village Maram in connection with the case and during interrogation, it was revealed that convict and minor victim had love affairs and had eloped on February 9 and stayed in Kabinam village without disclosing to their parents as convict was married man having wife and a son. The IO of the case, after completion of the investigation, submitted the charge sheet against the convict for the trial.
During the trial, numbers of prosecution witnesses were produced by the prosecution in order to prove the charges levelled against the convict beyond the reasonable doubt.
The court, after hearing the submission of APP of the state and defence counsel in length during the trial and final argument hearing of the case, announced the judgment order and convicted Potshangbam Johnson under section 4 of POCSO Act for committing sexual assault of minor victim.
