A local sessions court in Kalyan has sentenced a self-proclaimed godman and his agent to seven years in prison for forcing a minor girl to perform sexual rituals.
Judge S.C. Waghware also sentenced the victim’s father and grandmother to five years in jail. The sessions court ordered that a sum of ₹50,000 be handed over to the victim as compensation.
Agent convinced family
The agent had approached the victim’s family and convinced them that if sexual rituals were performed on their 15-year-old daughter, the jinn (spirit) would be satisfied and shower gold coins and hidden treasures on them. On May 7, 2015, the girl was rescued from the godman’s house.
This was the first case in Kalyan taluka to have an in-camera trial, which began in 2016. The District Legal Services Authority and International Justice Mission, an NGO working with victims of trafficking, provided free legal aid to the victim.
The court sentenced the godman and imposed on him a fine of ₹10,000 under Section 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) of the Indian Penal Code.
He was also fined ₹25,000 under Section 3 (prevention and eradication of human sacrifice and other inhuman, evil and aghori practices and black magic) of the Maharashtra Prevention and Eradication of Human Sacrifice and other Inhuman, Evil and Aghori Practices and Black Magic Act, 2013
Father, grandmother jailed
The agent was sentenced and fined ₹5,000 under Section 354, imposed a penalty of ₹5,000 under Section 366A (procuration of minor girl) of the IPC, and fined another ₹5,000 under Section 3 of the Black Magic Act.
The victim’s father and grandmother were sentenced to prison and fined ₹5,000 each under Section 354 of the IPC and ₹5,000 each under Section 3 of the Black Magic Act.