Nashik : A Nashik District and Sessions Court on Monday sentenced a man to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment (RI) for repeatedly sexually assaulting a minor girl, resulting in her pregnancy. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 3,000 and ordered him to pay Rs 1 lakh in compensation to the survivor.
The survivor was just over 15 years old when she lodged a complaint with Mumbai Naka police. The accused and the survivor had known each other for a long time. He repeatedly sexually assaulted her at different places in the city. Nashik CP Sandeep Karnik, DCP Kirankumar Chavan, DCP Monika Raut and other senior officials commended the prosecution team and police personnel for securing the conviction.
It also directed the convict to pay Rs 1 lakh in compensation to the survivor within a month, failing which he would face an additional year of RI.
The court said failure to pay the fine would attract an additional three months of RI. Based on the survivor’s testimony, witness statements and evidence presented by the investigating officer, District and Sessions Judge R N Pandhare found the accused guilty under relevant sections of the POCSO Act . APP Bhanupriya Petkar represented the govt during the trial.
Police registered a case under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. PSI Pankaj Sonawane, then attached to Mumbai Naka police station, gathered circumstantial and forensic evidence before filing a chargesheet.