-1 IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB AND HARYANA AT CHANDIGARH SAMBODH KUMAR ...APPELLANT VERSUS STATE OF PUNJAB …RESPONDENT Reserved on : December 01, 2025 Pronounced on : February 06, 2026 Whether full judgment is pronounced or operative part thereof : Full CORAM: HON'BLE MRS. JUSTICE LISA GILL HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE PARMOD GOYAL Present: Mr. Harkirat Singh Ghuman, Advocate, for the appellant.

Mr. R.S. Pandher, Addl. A.G., Punjab.

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PARMOD GOYAL, J.

Appellant–accused has assailed the judgment of conviction dated 21.10.2016 passed by the Court of the Additional Sessions Judge, Rupnagar, whereby he was convicted under Section 376 (2)(f) of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 (hereinafter referred to as ‘IPC’) and Section 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 (hereinafter referred to as ‘POCSO Act’). Vide order of sentence dated 24.10.2016, appellant was sentenced to undergo rigorous imprisonment for eighteen years and to ₹

pay a fine of 10,000/-, and in default of payment of fine, to further undergo rigorous imprisonment for one year, under Section 376 (2)(f) IPC read with section 6 of POCSO.

2. Prosecutrix (PW-2) on 21.05.2016 made statement to SI Harmesh Kaur who along with