Maharashtra: Man gets 15-year jail for raping two minors

During their deposition in the court in 2018, the girls had also narrated how the convict had sexually abused one after the other.(Representational Image)

A 30-year-old man was Tuesday sentenced to 15-year jail for raping two minors at Sewree in 2017.

Special Judge S J Gharat found the man guilty under charges including kidnapping of the Indian Penal Code and relevant sections of aggravated penetrative sexual assault of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act.

According to the prosecution, led by special public prosecutor, V D More, the convict knew one of the minors and had enrolled for a tiffin service run by her mother three months before the incident. The two minors, both 7 years old at the time of the incident, were playing at a ground near their house on October 29, 2017, when the convict had approached them and lured them to accompany him, the prosecution said. He took the girls to an isolated spot and sexually abused them, the prosecution added.

The incident had come to light when a watchman of a nearby premise, who had seen the convict with the minors, grew suspicious and went to check. The watchman, in his statement recorded before the police, had stated that on hearing his screams a few other people had reached the spot, following which the accused was apprehended and handed over to the police.

During their deposition in the court in 2018, the girls had also narrated how the convict had sexually abused one after the other.

While the convict had sought leniency citing his age, the prosecution had sought stringent punishment for the convict, stating that it was an aggravated sexual assault since the convict had committed the crime twice. The court relied on the statements of the witnesses, including the minors, their mothers as well as medical evidence from a state-run hospital and sentenced him to 15 years imprisonment.