UP BJP MLA Ramdular Gond gets 25 years in jail for raping minor girl

A special MP/MLA court in Sonbhadra on Friday sentenced BJP MLA from Duddhi, Sonbhadra, Ramdular Gond, to 25 years' rigorous imprisonment for raping a minor in his village nine years ago. As a result, the legislator will lose his membership of the assembly.

The court announced the punishment after it pronounced, on Tuesday, the first-time MLA guilty of raping a 15-year-old in 2014 under sections 376 and 506 of the Indian Penal Code and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act. At the time he committed the crime, Gond's wife was the village head and he occupied a position of power. He is known to have exerted pressure on the victim and her family to drop the case after becoming an MLA last year.

Apart from a sentence of 25 years of rigorous imprisonment, he was also slapped with a fine of ₹10 lakh. which will be given to the victim for her rehabilitation, her advocate Vikas Shakya said. "For 9 years, the case went on and more than 300 dates were announced, and eventually the court delivered its verdict and the victim's family are fully satisfied with the judgement," he said.


Shakya said the victim birthed a daughter as a result of the incident and while the court did not give any directions for her separate compensation, the family would request the BJP government to take some steps for her future, either by directing the MLA to pay for the child's maintenance or by itself taking up the responsibility of her future under the 'Beti Bachao Beti Padhao' campaign.

According to the rules, any legislator, if sentenced for more than two years, stands to be disqualified. When his disqualification is notified, Gond will become the second BJP MLA from UP to lose his membership in one year. Last year, BJP MLA Vikram Saini lost his membership after being sentenced to two years for his role in the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots.