PUNE: The court of additional sessions judge Varsharani Patravale on Friday convicted and sentenced a 34-year-old man to 20 years’ rigorous imprisonment for sexually assaulting a nine-year-old girl on April 3, 2019, and a year earlier also.
According to the case put up by additional public prosecutor Leena Pathakthe accused and the survivor stayed in neighbouring houses. On April 12, 2019, evening, the survivor’s mother, on returning home from work, noticed that her daughter was frightened. When she asked the girl about it, she narrated how the uncle from a neighbouring house sexually assaulted her on April 3, 2019. She also narrated a similar act committed by him a year before.
The mother lodged a complaint with the police and the accused was arrested and tried for offences under Sections 377 (unnatural offence), 354 (molestation), 354-A (sexual assault), 506 (criminal intimidation) of the IPC and under the relevant sections of the POCSO Act.
Prosecutor Pathak, who examined five witnesses, told TOI, “The evidence recorded by the survivor proved crucial in the case as it was not shaken by the defence cross examination and the court, too, found it reliable. The survivor’s mother, the investigating officer and the medical authorities were among other prosecution witnesses. The accused had taken a defence that he was at his place of work and not at home at the time of the two incidents, but the court found too many gaps in his alibi.”
The court found the accused guilty under the IPC as well as POCSO provisions.
(The victim’s identity has not been revealed to protect her privacy as per Supreme Court directives on cases related to sexual assault)
According to the case put up by additional public prosecutor Leena Pathakthe accused and the survivor stayed in neighbouring houses. On April 12, 2019, evening, the survivor’s mother, on returning home from work, noticed that her daughter was frightened. When she asked the girl about it, she narrated how the uncle from a neighbouring house sexually assaulted her on April 3, 2019. She also narrated a similar act committed by him a year before.
The mother lodged a complaint with the police and the accused was arrested and tried for offences under Sections 377 (unnatural offence), 354 (molestation), 354-A (sexual assault), 506 (criminal intimidation) of the IPC and under the relevant sections of the POCSO Act.
Prosecutor Pathak, who examined five witnesses, told TOI, “The evidence recorded by the survivor proved crucial in the case as it was not shaken by the defence cross examination and the court, too, found it reliable. The survivor’s mother, the investigating officer and the medical authorities were among other prosecution witnesses. The accused had taken a defence that he was at his place of work and not at home at the time of the two incidents, but the court found too many gaps in his alibi.”
The court found the accused guilty under the IPC as well as POCSO provisions.
(The victim’s identity has not been revealed to protect her privacy as per Supreme Court directives on cases related to sexual assault)