The fourth Additional District and Sessions Judge, B.K. Naik, on Saturday sentenced 26-year-old Roopesh from Munchchoor to eight years of rigorous imprisonment and imposed fine of Rs. 25,000. Roopesh had been found guilty of sexually assaulting a 17-year-old girl in Bajpe police station limits on December 10, 2010.
The 17-year-old girl was sexually assaulted when she was returning to her house in the evening after picking an empty milk can from a shop to which she had delivered milk in the morning. Roopesh blocked her way and assaulted her in a bush. The girl filed a complaint four days after the incident.
The Judge convicted Roopesh for offences under sections 376 (1) (rape), 341 (wrongful restraint) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code. While imposing eight years imprisonment for rape, the Judge sentenced Roopesh to six months of imprisonment for criminal intimidation and one month of imprisonment for wrongful restraint. All the three sentences will be running concurrently.
The Judge deducted from the term of imprisonment the period of one year Roopesh was in the prison during the trial.
During the hearing on quantum of punishment on Thursday, Public Prosecutor Manjunath V. Bhat Panne had sought maximum punishment for Roopesh as he had attacked the girl in a lonely area. Roopesh’s advocate S.P. Chengappa had asked the Judge to consider the age of Roopesh and provide him time to reform.
