40-year-old man gets life term for raping minor in Ahilyanagar

Nashik: A special Pocso court in Ahilyanagar on Thursday sentenced a 40-year-old man to life imprisonment for raping a minor girl known to him in Sept 2022. Special Judge R R Hastekar held him guilty under relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act and the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The court also imposed a fine of Rs 6,000.The convict, who lived in the same neighbourhood as the survivor, visited her home on Sept 7, 2022. The victim's mother requested him to drop her daughter to college. Instead, he told the minor that he had feelings for her, took her to a lodge on Ahilyanagar Sambhaji Road and raped her. He then threatened to kill her and her family if she revealed anything to anyone.Around 4.30pm on same day, the girl's mother went to the college to pick her up and saw her arriving with the accused on a bike. Sensing something was wrong, she questioned them and subsequently took her daughter to the police station, where she filed a kidnapping complaint.According to Sandeep Mitke, who was then deputy SP in Newasa, the girl disclosed the assault during questioning, after which police added charges of rape under the IPC and Pocso Act.During the trial, the testimonies of the victim, her mother, medical professionals, forensic experts, investigation officer sub-inspector Manoj Mondhe, API Dnyaneshwar Thorat and deputy SP Mitke played a crucial role. Forensic laboratory reports and other technical evidence were also instrumental in securing the conviction. Assistant public prosecutor M S Kale represented the state.Mitke confirmed that the convict received life imprisonment under Pocso, seven years of rigorous imprisonment for kidnapping and one year of rigorous imprisonment for criminal intimidation under IPC. All sentences will run concurrently.