Man sentenced to 20 years RI for raping 13-year-old neighbour in Thane

A special court in Maharashtra`s Thane district has sentenced a man to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment for raping a 13-year-old neighbour in 2021, reported news agency PTI.

Special judge D S Deshmukh on Thursday found the accused, a resident of Kalwa, guilty of charges under relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, reported PTI.

Judge Deshmukh sentenced the accused to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 20,000 on him.

Special public prosecutor Rekha Hiwrale informed the court that on the afternoon of August 17, 2021, the girl was playing outside her house when the accused gagged her, dragged her into his house and raped her after threatening her, reported PTI.

Eight prosecution witnesses, including the girl and her mother, were examined during the trial.

Hiwrale said the judge has directed that the fine money, if recovered, be paid to the girl as compensation and referred the case to the DLSA for payment of appropriate compensation.

Thane man sentenced to 20 years in jail for rape and assault of seven-year-old girl

In another case, a court has convicted and sentenced a man from Maharashtra`s Thane district to 20 years in prison for the rape and assault of a seven-year-old girl about six years ago.

In his order, an Additional Sessions Judge from Kalyan, PR Ashturkar, also imposed a fine of Rs 6,000 on the 39-year-old convict, a resident of the Ambernath area.

Special Public Prosecutor Sachin Kulkarni told the court that in July 2019, the man lured the child out of her house under a false pretext, took her to a desolate spot and raped her. He also struck the girl, resulting in a tooth being knocked out, said Kulkarni.

Hearing her cries, a passerby rushed to the spot and caught the man, who was subsequently arrested and booked for rape under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, and assault.

The court said the prosecution had proved all charges against the man beyond reasonable doubt and sentenced him to 20 years in jail.

Kulkarni said eight witnesses, including the survivor, testified in the court. “The judge found the survivor`s testimony compelling and consistent,” he added. 

(With inputs from PTI)