Kolkata, July 3 (IANS) The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has said that the trial process and conviction in one of the 2021 post-poll violence in West Bengal concerning the rape of a minor girl were concluded at a special POSCO court in Kolkata, resulting in the first conviction in such cases investigated by the central investigating agency in the state.

According to a statement issued by the CBI, on Wednesday, one such case was registered about the rape of a minor girl aged around nine years at Manikchak in the Malda district.

According to the CBI statement, the investigation revealed that the victim aged around nine years was raped by the accused Rafikul Islam alias Bhelu, who was a retired school teacher at a state-run school in Malda on the evening of June 4, 2021 while she was playing in the mango orchard of the accused.

The accused was charged with raping the minor after alluring her with money.

“Both the victim and the eyewitness deposed strongly about the incident of rape before the trial court,” the CBI statement said.

As per the statement, on Wednesday, a POCSO court in Malda district, after a thorough trial in the matter, found the accused guilty of the offence under Section 6 of the POCSO Act and under Section 376AB of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for committing rape on a minor girl.

“This is the first post-poll violence case in which the trial has concluded and the same has resulted in a conviction. The sentence is likely to be pronounced on Friday,” the CBI statement added.

Earlier in the day, CBI issued another statement claiming that they have submitted a supplementary charge sheet at a special court in Kolkata on June 20 naming 18 additional accused persons, including one legislator and two councillors, in connection with the case of a BJP worker, Abhijit Sarkar, in Kolkata in the post-poll violence after the 2021 West Bengal Assembly election.

With the 18 additional accused persons being named in the charge sheet, the total number of accused persons in the case rises to 38.

–IANS

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