The Meghalaya High Court today took up the criminal appeal petition filed by former Mawhati MLA Julius K. Dorphang against his conviction by the POCSO Court of Ri-Bhoi district in the rape of a minor girl.
Dorphang was on August 13 sentenced to jail by Febroneous Silkam Sangma, special judge for Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act cases in Ri-Bhoi district.
The division bench of the High Court comprising of Justice Ranjit More and Justice Wanlura Diengdoh heard the appeal filed by Dorphang today through his lawyer K Ch Gautam.
The High Court has listed the matter for further hearing on October 25.
Dorphang was sentenced to 25 years in jail by a special court in Ri-Bhoi district for raping a girl in 2017 when he was a legislator. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 15 lakh on him.
Dorphang was convicted and sentenced by the POCSO court in the case filed against him on January 5, 2017.
The court also sentenced to life imprisonment three handlers of the girl, besides imposing fines of Rs 1 lakh each.
Darisha Mary Kharbamon, Mamoni Parveen and her husband Sandeep Biswa were accused of getting the girl for the crime and inducing her to prostitution.
Dorphang was the founder-chairman of insurgent group Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC).
He surrendered in 2007 as HNLC chairman, and in 2013, won the election from the Mawhati seat as an Independent candidate.
Dorphang was arrested on the basis of a complaint lodged against him by the State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (SCPCR) with the East Khasi Hills district police in December 2016, alleging his involvement in an illicit act with a minor.
In January 2017, the SCPCR had filed another complaint in Ri-Bhoi, alleging that Dorphang had committed a similar offence against the same minor at a resort in the district.
On the basis of the complaints, two separate cases were registered against Dorphang, following which he went missing.
He was arrested on January 7 from a bus terminus in the outskirt of Guwahati.
The trial in connection with the other case is underway at a special court in Jowai.
Dorphang was lodged at the Nongpoh district jail since his arrest before the high court granted him bail on medical grounds last year.
The former legislator was re-arrested on August 13 after being convicted.
