PATNA: A former commando of the country’s elite force, National Security Guards (NSG) engaged in the 26/11 Operation, has been awarded life imprisonment for sexually assaulting his two minor daughters for several months in Bihar’s Munger district.
A POCSO court headed by Pradeep Kumar Choudhary on Monday sentenced Anant Kumar to undergo life imprisonment after holding him guilty in the sexual assault case lodged with Jamalpur police station in 2022. The case was registered on the statement of the accused’s wife.
The court also imposed a penalty of Rs 30,000 on the accused. He would have to serve an additional three months in prison if he failed to deposit the fine in court. The accused was sent to Munger jail under tight security arrangements.
Special Public Prosecutor, Munger, Pritam Kumar Vaishya, said that altogether 11 witnesses were produced in the court, who supported their statements in the court. The prosecution had provided substantial evidence against the accused.
The accused was held guilty under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) Act, 2012.
The accused earlier told the court that he had joined the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) but was on deputation with NSG, which had carried out the 26/11 Operation against terrorists. However, the court handed out its verdict on Monday.
According to the prosecution, the accused used to take his daughters, aged 17 and 15 years, to a posh hotel of Munger on one pretext or another, where the victims were sexually assaulted. The girls kept silent for several months as the accused used to threaten them with dire consequences and even beat them up.
One of the sisters later mustered courage and narrated her ordeal. The mother, however, could not reveal the matter to the police immediately due to social stigma. One day, the accused took his younger daughter to the hotel on the pretext of shopping and committed the crime.
The accused’s wife, accompanied by some relatives, visited the hotel and found him in a compromising position with his daughter. The victim’s mother subsequently informed the police, and the accused was arrested. The victim’s medical examination also confirmed the crime.
In the court, the accused pleaded his innocence, but the clinching evidence led to his punishment.