Thane court sentences man to 10 years RI for sexual assault on minor girl

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Thane, Sep 13 (PTI) A court in Maharashtra's Thane district sentenced a man to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment for sexually assaulting an 11-year-old girl in 2018.

Additional sessions judge D S Deshmukh, on Friday, convicted Santosh Bhimrao Wankhede (32) of charges under relevant provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and the Indian Penal Code.

The court sentenced Wankhede to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 50,000, which will be given to the survivor after the appeal period.

The case was also referred to the DLSA for additional compensation as per regulations.

As per the case details, the child was sexually assaulted by the accused in the wee hours of May 19, 2018, in the Mumbra area.

The survivor's mother testified that she found her daughter missing from her bed and later found her coming down a hill near their house in an injured state.

The survivor, as a key prosecution witness, testified that the accused came to her home, gagged her mouth, and took her to a hill, where he beat her up and assaulted her. He later threatened to kill her brothers if she revealed his name.

The judge noted that the victim's statement to the magistrate was "consistent on the point of penetrative sexual assault and identification of the accused".

The judge also dismissed the accused's defence that a false case was filed against him, as the girl's family was angry with him for asking them to vacate their rented room. PTI COR ARU