📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Aiban-03
Crime
Meghalaya High Court confirms 24-year sentence for man convicted of raping stepdaughter
✍️ India Today NE
🗓 01 Nov 2026, 12:16 PM
👁 21
The Meghalaya High Court upheld a 24‑year imprisonment for a man found guilty of sexually assaulting his stepdaughter, reaffirming the lower court’s verdict.
The Meghalaya High Court on Tuesday upheld a 24‑year jail term imposed on a man convicted of sexually assaulting his stepdaughter, confirming the decision of the trial court. The appellant had challenged the conviction, arguing procedural lapses, but the bench dismissed the plea, stating that the evidence presented was sufficient to sustain the original verdict.
The lower court had sentenced the accused to 24 years in prison after finding him guilty of rape and related offences under the Indian Penal Code. The High Court’s review focused on the adequacy of the trial proceedings and the credibility of the victim’s testimony, concluding that the trial had been conducted fairly.
Legal experts noted that the ruling reinforces the judiciary’s zero‑tolerance approach towards sexual crimes, especially those involving minors. The decision also serves as a reminder to lower courts to meticulously document evidence in such sensitive cases.
The convicted individual will remain incarcerated for the remainder of the term unless granted any further relief on appeal, which appears unlikely given the High Court’s firm stance.
The lower court had sentenced the accused to 24 years in prison after finding him guilty of rape and related offences under the Indian Penal Code. The High Court’s review focused on the adequacy of the trial proceedings and the credibility of the victim’s testimony, concluding that the trial had been conducted fairly.
Legal experts noted that the ruling reinforces the judiciary’s zero‑tolerance approach towards sexual crimes, especially those involving minors. The decision also serves as a reminder to lower courts to meticulously document evidence in such sensitive cases.
The convicted individual will remain incarcerated for the remainder of the term unless granted any further relief on appeal, which appears unlikely given the High Court’s firm stance.