Mumbai: Man gets 10 years for rape, minor flies in from abroad to depose

MUMBAI: A 38-year-old businessman has been convicted and sentenced to 10 years rigorous imprisonment and fined Rs 1 lakh for repeatedly sexually assaulting his 14-year-old neighbour in 2019. The minor, who was 16 when she deposed in March this year, had flown back from abroad where her family later moved. The child, now a foreign national, told the court that during another rape attempt, she was rescued by an alert friend and neighbour.
Among 11 witnesses cited by special public prosecutor VD More were the child, her mother, tuition teacher she had first confided in, her friend and medical officer.
The minor told the court that on April 1, 2019 she told her tuition teacher that she was being sexually assaulted. She said the accused, who lived in the same building, was sexually harassing her and would touch her inappropriately in the elevator. The child said her friend, who used to accompany her, had noticed it. She said that the accused even kept tabs on her school and tuition timings.
She said that in March 2019, when her mother was out of town for a few days, the accused came to her house and sexually assaulted her. He threatened to kill her and her family.
The child said she was frightened and unable to focus on studies. She said she constantly worried the accused would harm her family. The child said that the tutor called her mother and told her about the rape. After that the mother began to accompany the minor to school and would also bring her back.
On April 4, 2019, the minor said that the accused forcibly took her to his house where he attempted to rape her while his wife was away. The child said suddenly she could hear her neighbour knock on the door and call out to the accused. While the accused claimed that the minor had come to his house as she did not want to go for tuitions, she came out crying.
The mother said that when she saw the child in the house of the accused, she was shivering and unable to stand. The child fainted at home. The mother said that a gynaecologist confirmed that the child had been raped.
Subsequently, the mother complained to the police with the help of a social worker and the accused was arrested.
(The victim's identity has not been revealed to protect her privacy as per Supreme Court directives on cases related to sexual assault)