Man gets life for repeatedly raping, impregnating teen ‘stepdaughters’

MUMBAI: A special Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act court on Thursday convicted and sentenced a 35-year-old man to life imprisonment for repeatedly raping his two minor “stepdaughters”. The accused, who worked in a salon and lived in with the girls’ mother, had even got the two girls aged 15 and 17 pregnant.
Both the survivors deposed before the court. The older minor said the first offence took place in November 2016. She said that her ordeal continued when her mother, who worked as a domestic help, went out for work and her sister left home to use the public toilet or visit a shop. The survivor said the accused threatened to kill her mother, her sister and her if she were to reveal the incident to anyone. She managed to confide in her mother though, after a fight ensued between the couple in early 2017. The survivor said during the fight, the accused tore her notebooks and her mother threatened to call cops. The following day after another fight took place, she finally told her mother about the rape. The mother then lodged a police complaint in March 2017.

The younger of the two had by now confided in her sister that she, too, had been repeatedly raped by the accused. She deposed before the court too, and said the first attack took place in 2016. On one occasion, the accused even physically assaulted her. She told the court that when their medical examination was done, it was found that both she and her sister were pregnant. With their mother’s consent, both underwent abortions.

During the deposition, the special judge noted that the girls looked frightened. In the absence of the accused and the prosecution, the court calmed them down and ensured that a child-friendly environment was created for their deposition. Thereafter, their evidence was recorded in camera in the presence of both the parties.