Lucknow: A Barabanki court has sentenced a man to life imprisonment for aggravated penetrative sexual assault on a minor girl after finding him guilty under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act.The court also imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh and directed that the amount, if deposited, be paid to the victim as compensation. Failure to pay the fine will attract an additional one year of simple imprisonment.Additional Sessions Judge and Special Judge (Pocso) Gyan Prakash Shukla convicted Shivam Kumar Prajapati, a resident of Gudaicha village under Baddupur police station, under Section 5(L)/6 of the Pocso Act and relevant provisions of BNS.According to special public prosecutor Purushottam Mishra, the victim was 17 years old when Prajapati sexually assaulted her on the promise of marriage and later reneged on his commitment. The girl’s mother lodged an FIR on July 7, 2025, following which police filed a chargesheet on July 23, 2025.The court took cognisance of the case on Aug 20, 2025, framed charges on July 31, 2026, and delivered its verdict on Aug 7, 2026, after hearing arguments from both sides.During sentencing, the defence sought leniency, citing the convict’s young age, lack of previous criminal history and family responsibilities. The prosecution opposed the plea, arguing that the gravity of the offence warranted the strictest punishment.Prajapati was, however, acquitted of charges under the Information Technology Act and the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act due to insufficient evidence.
