TEACHER SENTENCED TO 72 YEARS' IN JAIL FOR RAPING 12-YEAR-OLD

Kota Kinabalu: A 53-year-old teacher has been sentenced to 72 years' in jail and four strokes of the cane by the Sessions Court here for raping a 12-year-old pupil.

Zalani Amit was found guilty on Monday (Oct 30) evening with four counts of raping the pupil between Aug 29 and Oct 18, 2014 at a chalet in Kinarut Papar.

He was charged under Section 376(1) of the Penal Code that provides an imprisonment up to 20 years and whipping upon conviction and Section 376(2)(d) of the same code, which carries a maximum jail term of 30 years and whipping upon conviction.
Sessions Court judge Noor Hafizah Mohd Salim ordered Zalani to be jailed 18 years for each offence committed, and the sentences were to run consecutively.

He also asked the court to spare Zalani from being caned due to his age.

Ram Singh applied for a stay of execution, which the court allowed with a bail of RM20,000 and two sureties.

However, Deputy Public Prosecutor Dinesh Raja urged for a deterrent sentence as the offence was serious and growing rampant.