Thane: A court here in Maharashtra has awarded seven years of rigorous imprisonment to a 31-year-old man for raping a minor girl in 2013.
District Judge P P Jadhav in his order last week also imposed a fine of Rs 32,000 on the accused, Manish alias Mashal Gangaram Shinge, a resident of Waghbil area here.
According to the prosecution, the accused, who was already married and had two children, developed a friendship with the 16-year-old student, who also resided in the same locality. He used to call the victim and also visit her house to which her parents objected.
On March 29, 2013, when the girl was returning home along with her sister, the accused snatched her mobile phone and forcibly took her on his two-wheeler to a secluded place where he raped her.
He also threatened her with dire consequences if she revealed the incident to anyone. Later, a friend of the accused dropped the girl home.
Based on a complaint filed by the girl's parents, the accused was arrested and booked under Indian Penal Code Sections 376 (rape), 366-A (procuration of a minor girl), 342 (wrongful confinement) and 392 (robbery), and provisions of the Protection of Children From Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
The defence counsel urged for leniency, saying the accused was married and had two small children. However, the prosecution sought maximum punishment for the accused, saying the offence was "very serious".
The prosecutor said the accused, despite knowing that the victim was minor, sexually assaulted her. After hearing both the sides, the judge pronounced Shinge guilty and awarded him the punishment.
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