Pimpri court sentences man (64) to 20 years’ RI for sexually assaulting a child in his house in Dapodi in 2022
Pune: A Pimpri court sentenced a man, now aged 64, to 20 years’ rigorous imprisonment (RI) for sexually assaulting a seven-year-old girl in his house in Dapodi in Sept 2022. Special public prosecutor PS Agarwal sought the maximum punishment, submitting that the survivor was seven years old at the time of the incident and the accused, 60 years old then, was in a dominating position. The girl was playing outside her house on Sept 20, 2022, when Khan allegedly called her to his house under the pretext of giving her chocolate, according to the judgment delivered on Saturday.
“Khan has been in jail since Sept 20, 2022 and will get set-off for the period already undergone,” said Agarwal. The child subsequently told her mother that Khan sexually assaulted her and that similar acts were committed against her on earlier occasions. He also sought appropriate compensation for the survivor. Her mother later went looking for her and found her slippers outside Khan’s house. On hearing the child screaming, she opened the door, and found Khan and the girl inside.
The child repeated the account before the court, where her evidence regarding the incident remained unchallenged, the judge noted.
The accused, Karim Kadar Khan, was held guilty under sections 376AB and 376(2)(n) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act. The court imposed a total fine of Rs50,000 on Khan to be paid to the survivor. Additional sessions judge Kavita D Shirbhate held that the prosecution had proved its case through the testimony of the child, her mother, medical evidence and the forensic report. The defence had pointed to discrepancies concerning the timing of the FIR, the child’s clothing and other aspects of the prosecution evidence. The court held that these contradictions did not materially affect the case, noting that the presence of the accused and the child at the spot had not been challenged. It also directed the District Legal Services Authority to provide compensation to her as per guidelines.