Delhi court asks convict to pay Rs 1 lakh to rape victim

A Delhi court has directed a man to pay a compensation of Rs one lakh to an MCD school teacher after holding him guilty of raping her.

Additional Sessions Judge Kamini Lau sentenced Azaz Ahmed, a cab driver, to jail term that he had already served during his incarceration in judicial custody.

The court's order came after Ahmed pleaded guilty of the charges levelled by the victim who said the convict - already married - raped her a number of times between January and September 2007 after promising to marry her.

The victim had also alleged she was forced to abort on August 14, 2007, by the convict as she conceived due to forced relationship.

During the trial, the convict, who used to pick and drop children in a MCD school, admitted his guilt as the victim recorded her statement before the court detailing the incidents, leading to registration of a criminal case against the convict with Jahangirpuri police station in New Delhi.

"After the accused has expressed his desire to plead guilty, the victim orally told the court that she has forgiven the accused and does not wish to pursue the present case further.

"She has told the court that she and her family are in a state of destitution since after this incident when her parents came to know about her relationship with the accused they went into a state of depression," the court noted.

Besides ordering the convict to pay up, the court directed the Delhi police officer, who investigated the case, to put the family of the victim, who worked in the MCD school as teacher on contractual basis, under the care of an NGO working in the area to provide necessary assistance by way of counselling and rehabilitation of her and her family members.

The victim had told the court that her family members, including mother, brother and sister, were passing through depression following the incident with her.