Shillong, May 20: A man had an appeal against his conviction for aggravated penetrative sexual assault of his own daughter dismissed by the High Court of Meghalaya today.
The man, Shanborlang Thabah, had been convicted by a Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) court in August 2023 but challenged the ruling by claiming that his daughter’s statement to police and testimony in court differed.
The girl was just 14 or 15 years old when a series of sexual assaults against her took place, though the father claimed that he had not sexually penetrated her but only attempted to do so.
A two-judge bench comprising Chief Justice Revati Mohite Dere and Justice Wanlura Diengdoh, however, found that there was nothing to call into question either the victim’s testimony or that of the other prosecution witnesses.
The appeal was dismissed and the sentence of the lower court confirmed – Thabah had been given 15 years’ rigorous imprisonment and fined Rs 50,000.
