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

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

In his order on Thursday, 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. 

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