Meghalaya: East Jaintia Hills court sentences man to 15 years for child sexual assault

A special court in Khliehriat has handed down a 15-year prison term to Batista Paslein after finding him guilty of sexually assaulting a minor.

Special Judge B Khriam, presiding over the POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) court in East Jaintia Hills District, delivered the verdict on December 4, 2025. The conviction was secured under Section 4(1) of the POCSO Act, with the court also imposing a fine of Rs 50,000.

The case originated when Khliehriat Women Police Station received a complaint and registered FIR number 52(12)2020. Investigators initially booked the accused under Section 376(1) of the Indian Penal Code, read with Sections 3 and 4 of the POCSO Act.

WPSI O. Tyngkan led the investigation, which the district police described as meticulous. Following the probe, authorities filed a charge sheet numbered 12124 on April 14, 2024, specifically under Section 3(a)/4 of the POCSO Act.

The Superintendent of Police for East Jaintia Hills District announced the conviction through an official press release issued from the district headquarters in Khliehriat.