The verdict was delivered on January 28, 2026, by Special Judge K. Vinod Kujur, concluding a trial stemming from a 2018 incident in village Pitaura, under the jurisdiction of the Nandininagar police outpost.
According to the prosecution, the incident occurred on February 9, 2018, at around 9:30 pm, when the victim was washing utensils near a borewell outside her home. The accused, a resident of the same village, allegedly approached her, caught her hand, and attempted to drag her towards a dark area. When the woman resisted and raised an alarm, the accused assaulted her violently.
The prosecution stated that the accused punched the victim on her head and face, resulting in one broken tooth and two loosened teeth. The accused fled the scene following the assault. The injured woman later reached her home in a distressed condition and informed her husband and family members, who corroborated her account before the court.
Based on the victim’s complaint, police registered Crime No. 38/2018 under Sections 354 (outraging modesty) and 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) of the Indian Penal Code. Following medical examination and assessment of the injuries, Section 325 (causing grievous hurt) was added. After the victim submitted her caste certificate, the case was transferred to the special SC-ST court.
During the trial, the prosecution examined eight witnesses, including the victim, her relatives, the investigating officer, and two doctors. Medical reports confirmed grievous injuries, categorising the broken tooth as serious harm.
The court observed that in cases of sexual assault, the testimony of the victim carries significant evidentiary value and cannot be dismissed solely due to the absence of independent eyewitnesses.
However, the court ruled that the prosecution failed to establish that the offence was committed on the basis of the victim’s caste. Consequently, the accused was acquitted under Section 3(1)(b)(1) of the SC-ST Act.
The court sentenced the accused to three years of rigorous imprisonment each under Sections 354 and 325 IPC, along with fines of ₹1,000 per count. Both sentences will run separately.
