Special court sentences 35-year-old man to life imprisonment in minor’s rape case

Prosecution proved accused established forceful physical relations with the victim girl who is under 16 years of age and made her pregnant, the judgment stated. Consequently, court sentenced accused to life imprisonment, ensuring that the “heinous” act met with commensurate legal consequence

Pune: A special court in Pune has convicted Bajrang Ramchandra Khopde, 35, in a child sexual assault case, holding him guilty under Sections 376(3) and 506 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860, as well as Sections 4 and 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012.

Special court sentences 35-year-old man to life imprisonment in minor’s rape case

Special Judge (Under POCSO Act) and Additional Sessions Judge, Pune, Sucheta M Takalikar delivered the verdict on February 25, in which the court further convicted the accused, who is a labourer under Section 235(2) of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, for the offence punishable under Section 506 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860.

The incident dates back to November 2018 at a farm in Talwade, where the victim’s mother worked as a cook. According to the prosecution, the victim had gone to the farm to call her mother when Khopde, who was also employed there, dragged her into a room, gagged her mouth, established forceful physical relations, and threatened to kill her if she disclosed the incident to anyone.

The crime came to light a few months later, on March 30, 2019, when the girl felt giddy and collapsed at school. A medical examination revealed she was nearly 20 weeks pregnant. Following the discovery, her mother lodged a complaint at the Rajgad police station. The victim later underwent a medical termination of the pregnancy at Sassoon Hospital.

As per the order in a special case (POCSO), the accused was convicted under Section 235(2) of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973. The court sentenced him to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment for the offence punishable under Section 376(3) of the IPC. In addition, he was directed to pay a fine of ₹10,000. In default of payment of the fine, he will undergo further rigorous imprisonment for six months.

For the offence of criminal intimidation under Section 506 IPC, the court sentenced him to one year of rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of ₹1,000. In default of payment of the fine, he will suffer additional rigorous imprisonment for one month.

“The prosecution proved that the accused established forceful physical relations with the victim girl who is under 16 years of age and made her pregnant,” the judgment stated. Consequently, the court sentenced Khopde to life imprisonment for his natural life, ensuring that the “heinous” act met with a commensurate legal consequence.

To prove its case, the prosecution examined all twelve witnesses and relied on documentary evidence. During the sentencing phase, the prosecution emphasised the heinous nature of the crime and the victim’s tender age. Additional Public Prosecutor AS Bramhe, representing the state, argued strongly for the maximum possible penalty. “The offence is heinous, and the maximum punishment should be awarded; otherwise, a wrong message would go to society, and the victim girl is so small,” he said.

The defence, led by Advocate Nilima Vartak, argued for the minimum sentence and raised several points of contention, including a four-month delay in filing the First Information Report (FIR) and a lack of immediate physical evidence from the spot panchanama. However, the court dismissed these arguments, noting that the delay was justified given the accused’s death threats and the victim’s young age (13 years) at the time.