A man accused of cheating a widow and having physical relations with her on the false promise of marriage has been sent to ten years in jail by a Delhi court which said he deserves a "very stern sentence".
Additional Sessions Judge Virender Bhat turned down the leniency plea of Bihar native Sikander Chaudhary, who was already married and had claimed to be the sole breadwinner of his family, saying "the extent of the family of convict does not persuade me to impose a lenient sentence upon him, as it was for him to think about his family before committing the offences".
"The convict cheated and deceived the prosecutrix on two counts. First, he took her consent for sexual intercourse by falsely representing that he is unmarried and would marry her whereas he knew that he cannot solemnise marriage with her as he is already married.
"Then he took away Rs one lakh from her on the assurance that he would purchase an auto rickshaw in her name, which he never intended to do," said the court, which also imposed a fine of Rs 1.25 lakh on Sikander.
Sikander, an auto driver, was arrested by the police on October 9, 2013 after the victim lodged a case here alleging that he had in March 2013 applied vermilion on her forehead saying they are married and later raped her while promising that he would take care of her children.
The woman, a native of Bihar and working as a doemstic help, in her complaint to Dabri police station here said that the accused had told her that he was unmarried.
"He (Sikander) assured her that he would perform a social marriage also with her as per all the rites and ceremonies. On August 28, 2013, the accused demanded Rs one lakh from her and told her that he would purchase an auto rickshaw in her name.
"The woman withdrew the amount and handed over the same to Sikander. The accused, thereafter did not return to her," the compalint states, adding that later she came to know for the first time that Sikander was already married.
