New Delhi–A Delhi court sentenced a man to jail for eight years for repeatedly raping his 17-year-old daughter and threatening her not to tell anyone.

Pronouncing the sentence, Additional Sessions Judge T.R. Naval said the one who was supposed to protect his daughter, had repeatedly committed the crime when her mother, who later died, was admitted in a hospital.

The court in the order said: “Keeping in view the submissions and all relevant factors and circumstances in which the accused committed crime, it would be just and appropriate if deterrent view in sentence is taken as the father, who is supposed to protect his daughter, has committed sexual assault on her repeatedly particularly when the mother of the victim was seriously ill and lying in a hospital.”

It added: “Accordingly, the convict is sentenced to undergo rigorous imprisonment for eight years for the offence under section 376 (rape) of the IPC.”

A fine of Rs.7,000 ($130) was also imposed on the convict, the court said, adding that if realised, Rs 5,000 ($90) be given to the girl as compensation.

“Besides this compensation, she will also be entitled to get other compensation, if available to her under other laws,” the judge said.

The incidents took place when the girl’s mother, who was suffering from tuberculosis, was admitted to hospital and the victim, after taking care of her mother, used to return home at night in June 2011, as per the prosecution.

The victim had told the court that on the night of June 17, 2011, her 38-year-old father raped her and threatened to kill her if she disclosed the incident to anyone.

According to the prosecution, the victim said that the accused, father of two other children, continued to rape her nightly for about a month. Following her mother’s death, the victim disclosed her ordeal to her aunt.

When the accused found out, he fled.

On Aug. 8, 2011, the aunt called the accused to her house on the pretext of meeting him and he was then arrested by Gokulpuri police, the police said.

The court rejected the plea of the accused that he was falsely implicated by his daughter at the instance of his sister-in-law as there was a delay in lodging a police report.–IANS

Jamshedpur-In a stellar show of indomitable spirit, Arunima Sinha became the first woman in the world to conquer Mount Everest with prosthetic legs, when she successfully climbed the world’s highest peak Tuesday.

The 26-year-old scaled the peak at 10.55 a.m. carrying the tri-colour. The achievement coincides with the 60th anniversary of the first conquest of the Mt Everest by Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay May 29, 1953.

Groomed by the first Indian woman to scale Mt. Everest, Bachendri Pal, at the Tata Steel Adventure Foundation (TSAF) in Uttar Kashi, Sinha completed her expedition journey from Kathmandu to the top of the peak in 52 days.

She followed Susen Mahato, another climber of Tata Steel Adventure Foundation, who summited Mt. Everest May 19.

Sinha, born at Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh July 20, 1986, is an ex-volleyball player at the national level. She lost both her legs in a railway accident in 2011.

Tata Steel has sponsored the expedition and provided all necessary training and mentorship for the challenging journey.

Congratulating Sinha, Pal said: “Her spirit, mental strength and willpower have been exemplary. She has defied all odds and will be an inspiration for millions throughout the world.”–IANS

Dubai–An Indian university lecturer who had come to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on a short visit has been arrested by police here for blogging against a Dubai-based university.

Though a report in the Gulf Times did not name either the lecturer or the university in India he works in, it said that he had finished his term in the private university at Dubai’s Academic City a year ago, but his contract was terminated without any reason.

A Dubai court later ruled in his favour and he got his end-of-service benefits.

After returning to India, he started blogging against the university and revealed the reason why his contract was terminated.—IANS