New Delhi: A father of six children was today (Aug 6, 2004) asked by a city court to pay Rs 50,000 to a boy born as a result of his raping an 18-year-old girl in 1996. The victim had died immediately after giving birth to the boy.

Additional Sessions Judge Swaran Kanta also sentenced convict Mohammed Rashid, 38, to rigorous imprisonment for two years after finding him guilty of raping the girl in the wee hours of November 15, 1996 when she had gone out of her house in a slum colony in Laxmi Nagar to answer nature's call.

The victim was married off by her parents to another man Mohammed Daud three months after the incident. But when she disclosed the incident to Daud, he divorced her. DNA test proved that Rashid is the biological father of the boy.

The court ordered Jahangir Puri station house officer to appear before it in person on August 17 and ensure that the boy and his maternal grandmother (who is currently taking care of him) are present in the court on that day to receive the compensation amount from Rashid.

"The compensation amount to be paid to the child by way of fixed deposit with the post office under monthly income plan so that the child keeps getting sustenance till he attains majority and thereafter the money on maturity is to be paid to the child," the court said.

The court took a lenient view after being informed by the defence counsel that Rashid was the sole bread earner of his large and poor family. The court had earlier rejected the contention of the defence that the victim had kept quiet for a long time saying the same was because Rashid had threatened to kill her and her family and also due to stigma.