Delhi court sentences guard Nithalu Pandey to 20 years in prison for child assault

A Delhi court has sentenced a 67-year-old security guard to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment for sexually assaulting a six-year-old girl in New Delhi. Alongside the prison term, the court directed that the young survivor be paid Rs 10.5 lakh in compensation to assist with her rehabilitation.

While pronouncing the sentence, Additional Sessions Judge Ajay Nagar highlighted the severe impact of the crime on the young victim. The court remarked that the assault had caused deep physical and psychological trauma to the child, which warranted both a stringent punishment for the perpetrator and substantial financial relief to aid her recovery.

Judge Nagar emphasized the need for a deterrent, stating that a strong message must be conveyed to society that such offences against children shall not be tolerated under any circumstances. He added that such offenders shall be dealt with strictly by the court.

The details of the prosecution's case were outlined by Prosecutor GC Soni, who noted that the incident occurred in May 2024. According to the prosecution, the survivor’s mother had left her home to go to work at around 4:00 PM on the day of the incident.

When the mother returned home at approximately 6:00 PM, she was informed of the abuse by her son and daughter. The children explained to her that while the six-year-old girl was playing in a nearby park, the accused was doing "wrong acts" with her. The children referred to the accused man as "nana."

Following the revelation from her children, the mother lodged a formal complaint against the accused, identified as Nithalu Pandey. Pandey was a security guard who lived in the same neighbourhood as the victim's family. The legal proceedings culminated in his recent conviction and sentencing.