JUDGMENT :

1. The appellant has filed the present appeal impugning a judgment dated 16.11.2016 passed by ASJ-01, North Rohini Courts, New Delhi, whereby the appellant was convicted for committing aggravated penetrative sexual assault on a child victim - an offence punishable under Section 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 (hereinafter the ‘POCSO Act’).

2. The appellant also seeks to challenge an order on sentence dated 22.11.2016, whereby the appellant was directed to undergo rigorous imprisonment for a period of ten years with a fine of Rs. 5,000/- for committing the offence punishable under Section 6 of the POCSO Act. It was further directed that in default of payment of the fine, the appellant would undergo simple imprisonment for a further period of thirty days.

3. The appellant was prosecuted pursuant to registration of an FIR bearing no. 364/13, under Section 376(2) of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 (hereinafter ‘IPC’) at PS Shahbad Dairy. The said FIR was registered on the basis of the statement (Ex PW4/A) made by the mother of the child victim. She alleged that one month prior to lodging the said complaint, the child victim had complained of stomach a