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In a case that has reverberated throughout the entertainment sector, the well-known dwarf comedian Darshan has been sentenced to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment for the sexual assault of a minor girl.
The ruling was issued on Monday by Additional District and Sessions Judge (ADJ) Sunil Jindal in Hisar.
Darshan, a resident of Haryana, was declared guilty on March 11 and has been in police custody since that time.
His sentence includes 20 years of imprisonment and a fine of Rs 1 lakh under the POCSO Act, along with three years of imprisonment and a fine of Rs 5,000 under Section 363, one year of imprisonment and a fine of Rs 1,000 under Section 343, and two years of imprisonment with a fine of Rs 1,000 under Section 506.
The incident dates back to September 2020 when the mother of a minor girl from a village in the Agroha region lodged a police report.
The complaint accused Darshan, who is recognized for his comedic videos on YouTube, of enticing the girl with the promise of featuring her in one of his productions.
As per the victim’s attorney, Rekha Mittal, Darshan reached out to the minor on September 21, 2020, requesting her presence for a video shoot. Following the shoot, he urged her to travel to Chandigarh. When she declined, he issued threats that instilled fear in the girl.
