JUDGMENT ON BOARD :

Ramesh Sinha, CJ.

1. This criminal appeal preferred under Section 374(2) of the CrPC is directed against the impugned judgment of conviction and order of sentence dated 05.09.2023 passed by the learned Additional Sessions Judge (FTC) South Bastar, Dantewada, District – South Bastar, Dantewada (C.G.) in Special Sessions (POCSO) Case No. 07/2020, by which the appellant has been convicted for offence punishable U/s 201 of IPC and U/s 6 of the POCSO Act and sentenced to undergo Rigorous Imprisonment for a term of 5 years & fine of Rs.1,000/-, in default of payment of fine additional Rigorous Imprisonment for 01 year and Life Imprisonment & fine of Rs.2,000/-, in default of payment of fine additional Rigorous Imprisonment for 01 year with a direction to run both the sentences concurrently.

2. Case of the prosecution, in brief, is that between August 2019 to October 2019 on 17.01.2020, the present appellant, being a step father of the victim, who on the date of incident was a minor, outraged the modesty of the victim by aggravated penetrative sexual assault resulting in pregnancy and to cover up the act lodged a false police complaint against a person named Hunga at Poli