In a shocking occurrence in Pakistan, an elderly handicapped man dependent on the support of wheelchair to move, sexually abused an eight-year-old girl and was sentenced to six years of imprisonment on Tuesday.
A Pakistani court sentenced the 60-year-old disabled man named Muzaffar Hussain to prison on Tuesday. However, the prosecution failed to establish that the suspect committed rape, news agency PTI reported.
The court also imposed a fine of Rs 500,000 on the convict who attended the hearing on a wheelchair. It was announced that if the man fails to pay the fine, he will have to serve five more years in jail.
The incident took place last year at Batapur area close to Wagah border. Lahore police had lodged a case against the convict under sections 376, 364, and 377-A and B of Pakistan Penal Code (PPC). The sections deal with offence of rape, kidnapping and sexual abuse, the agency reported.
Advocate Hashim Niazi, the convict's counsel, claimed that the girl’s father has implicated Hussain in a false case only to settle a property dispute with him. He argued in the court that police medical report had clearly established that Hussain was unable to perform the alleged act of rape, therefore, police at a later stage on investigation included offences of sexual abuse and kidnapping in the FIR.
(inputs from PTI)