POCSO court sentences 60-year-old man 20 years in jail for raping six-year-old

The court also directed him to pay a sum ₹10,000, out of which ₹5,000 will be awarded to the victim as compensation

MUMBAI: A special POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act) court on Thursday sentenced a 60-year-old Dharavi resident to 20 years of imprisonment, for raping a 6-year-old girl in September 2019. The court observed that the offence committed against her needs to be viewed strictly since the victim is a small child with no full parental support.

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According to the complaint filed by the victim’s mother, her elder daughter who had gone out to play, returned with her pants in her hand. She told her mother that her neighbour invited her to his house and sexually assaulted her. After raping her, when he went to the bathroom, she took her pants and rushed home.

The defence alleged that there were disputes between the victim’s family and accused man’s family over rent, due to which the victim’s family filed a false complaint against him. They further claimed that the oral evidence does not corroborate the medical evidence.

However, the court found the evidence produced on record by the prosecution, especially the consistent testimony of victim, to corroborate the medical evidence. “The prosecution has proved that accused had committed rape,” said special judge JP Darekar.

The court sentenced the accused to 20 years of imprisonment and directed him to pay a sum ₹10,000, out of which ₹5,000 will be awarded to the victim as compensation.

The defence then sought a minimum sentence as he is the sole earner of his family. However, the court said no leniency can be shown because in addition to the physical assault, the victim has suffered psychological impact too. “No compensation can be adequate, nor can it be of any respite for the victim. The humiliation, or the reputation, that is snuffed out cannot be re-compensated, but then, monetary compensation will at least provide some solace. Hence, she needs to be granted compensation,” the court said.