Meghalaya: Two men sentenced for crimes against minors as East Jaintia Hills court delivers justice

The Special Judge (POCSO) Court in East Jaintia Hills District has delivered significant sentences in two separate cases involving crimes against minors, with compensation totalling Rs 5.50 lakh ordered for the young survivors.

Shambhu Ray received the harsher sentence of seven years imprisonment under the Juvenile Justice (Care & Protection) Act for offences against a minor. The court imposed a fine of Rs 30,000 and ordered compensation of Rs 4 lakh to be paid to the minor survivor. The case, registered at Khliehriat Police Station, was investigated by Sub-Inspector D.D. Warjri and chargesheeted in July 2023.

The second conviction involved Peitlang Ilamon, who was sentenced to concurrent terms of four and three years imprisonment under sections 8 and 12 of the POCSO Act. Special Judge B. Khriam ordered him to pay Rs 20,000 fine for each section, with the court specifying that "in default of payment, he will serve an additional 1 (one) month simple imprisonment." The minor survivor in this case was awarded Rs 1.50 lakh in compensation.

Ilamon's case, originally registered at Khliehriat Women Police Station in August 2021, was investigated by WP-Inspector O. Tyngkan. The investigation concluded with a chargesheet filed in October 2021, demonstrating the thorough approach taken by local law enforcement.

The East Jaintia Hills District police emphasised the meticulous nature of their investigations in achieving these convictions.