The Sessions Court at Vasai, last week, sentenced a 25-year-old man to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment for the brutal rape of a four-year-old girl in 2016. It also imposed a fine of ₹16,000 on him.
Suresh Raju Mukane, a fish vendor, lived near the victim’s residence.
Around 11.30 p.m. on August 28, 2016, the girl’s mother woke up and noticed that her daughter was missing. When she went out in search of her, she found her daughter naked and hurt with Mukane nearby.
Seeing the mother, the accused fled the scene. A police complaint was filed against Mukane which alleged that he had kidnapped the girl between 9.30 p.m. and 11.30 p.m. that day and raped her.
The court, presided by Rahul R. Bhosale, reasoned that even though the girl and her mother had failed to bring conclusive certificates to prove her age, the medical reports of the victim as well as her appearance were sufficient to hold that she was under 18 years of age.
The medical examination also confirmed rape and Mukane’s presence at the site proves that he was the perpetrator of the crime.
Keeping in mind the age of the survivor and the mental trauma the incident caused her, the court convicted Mukane under sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act and the Indian Penal Code.