INDIA
Chandigarh Newsline
Express News Service
Panchkula, February 17: ADDITIONAL District and Session Judge Sneh Prashar today sentenced Somnath, a resident of Bhaisa Tibba, Mansa Devi Complex, to five years’ imprisonment and charged him with a Rs 12,000 fine in an attempt to rape case.
Somnath, a priest at Gugga Marhi (a religious place) in Bhaisa Tibba, tried to rape a minor girl, who is a resident of MDC, on June 27, 2004, in the forest area near the complex. The girl and her mother Basant Kaur were regular visitors to the place.
According to the complaint, on June 27, Somanth had told the victim’s mother that her prayers would be answered if she performed a special puja and that the prayer could only be held in the forest.