HT Digital
GUWAHATI, MAY 24: In two distinct instances, Assam courts have sentenced prison time to two couples for serious criminal acts — one case of child molestation and the other drug trade.
A trial court in Assam’s Biswanath district has given 20 years rigorous imprisonment to Jiten Bhumij and his wife Monika for molesting a minor girl. The case involved the molestation of Bhumij’s 16-year-old niece, according to an advocate who dealt with the case. While Jiten Bhumij was held guilty of committing the act, Monika was held guilty as an abettor.
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The Biswanath District and Sessions Judge convicted the couple under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. Apart from the jail term, both were also imposed a fine of Rs 15,000. If the fine cannot be paid, they will also face an additional jail term.
In another instance, the Jorhat District and Sessions-cum-Special Judge held a husband-wife couple, Bitul and Dipti Borah, guilty under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. The pair had been convicted of drug peddling.
The court sentenced them to 10 years of severe imprisonment and fined each of them Rs 1,000. If the fines are not paid, they will also have to undergo an extra one-month imprisonment.
These decisions are representative of the judiciary’s strong stand regarding offenses that involve child abuse as well as drugs in the state.
