POCSO Judge’s Message to Rape Survivor: ‘He Will Grow Old and Die in Prison’

New Delhi: The judge's personal message written after the trial court's verdict in the case of rape of a seven-year-old girl in Delhi will now be delivered to the girl and her family. The Delhi High Court has directed the North-West Delhi District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) to print this message from the trial court judge and hand it over to the girl or her family. The High Court has called it a 'message of courage' for the girl.

What did the girl say to the court?

This matter is of 23 July 2023. At that time the girl was seven years old. During the hearing, she presented her point of view in front of the court regarding the person whom she called 'Uncle'. The girl had said that he should be kept in jail until he grows old. The court convicted the accused considering her statement and the evidence revealed in the case.

What did the judge write in the message to the girl?

Rohini Additional Sessions Judge-01 (POCSO) Rajni Ranga wrote a separate message addressing the girl at the end of the judgement. It said that the court has heard her and her appeal has been accepted. The message assured the girl that the man she had identified would spend the rest of his life in prison.

The judge also appreciated the courage of the girl. The message said that she came to the court and identified the person who harmed her and told the truth with all courage. With this the girl was encouraged to move forward with her life, go to school, spend time with friends, play and fulfill her dreams.

Why did the High Court give instructions to deliver the message?

On September 22, 2026, a bench of Justice Pratibha M. Singh and Justice Dinesh Bhatt passed the order in this case. The court said that the message written by the trial court should reach the girl. For this, North-West Delhi DLSA was directed to hand over the copy of the message to the girl or her family within two weeks.

The High Court described this message as a 'message of courage'. The court has also sought a report from DLSA on the status of giving the fixed compensation amount to the girl.

In which case was the accused punished?

The case was tried under POCSO law. The accused, Sumit Shakya, was convicted on charges of aggravated sexual assault on a girl under 12 years of age and criminal intimidation. The trial court sentenced him to rigorous imprisonment for the rest of his life. Along with this, a fine of Rs 1 lakh was also imposed.

In the case of criminal intimidation also, he was sentenced to five years rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs 20,000. Both sentences have been ordered to run concurrently.

How much compensation did the girl get?

The trial court had made a provision of compensation of Rs 10.50 lakh for the girl. While deciding the amount, the nature of the crime, the distress caused to the child and her family and the possible long-term effects of the incident were kept in mind.

The High Court has sought a report from the DLSA Secretary on the status of payment of this compensation. The next hearing on this issue will be on November 4, 2026.

What did the High Court say on the bail of the accused?

A criminal appeal was filed in the High Court on behalf of the convict demanding suspension of the sentence and immediate bail. The bench currently refused to grant relief on this demand. The court did not agree to suspend the sentence at this stage in view of the available evidence, including forensic evidence.

The appeal in the case has now been listed for hearing again on January 20, 2027.