Man gets 10 yrs in jail for raping minor; aide absconding, say cops

The complainant, who is 23 years old now, has hearing and speech impairments. In her testimony, she said she was assaulted by two men on three separate occasions in 2013. Police said the other suspect was absconding.

A special Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) court sentenced a 25-year-old man to 10 years in jail for raping a physically-challenged minor on three occasions in 2013, based on the testimony provided by the minor.

A special Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) court sentenced a 25-year-old man to 10 years in jail for raping a physically-challenged minor on three occasions in 2013, based on the testimony provided by the minor.

The complainant, who is 23 years old now, has hearing and speech impairments. In her testimony, she said she was assaulted by two men on three separate occasions in 2013. Police said the other suspect was absconding.

The minor, out of fear, had not disclosed the incident to anyone. However, in August 2013, she fell ill. When she was admitted to a hospital, doctors found out she was pregnant. The pregnancy was later aborted. On the basis of a complaint lodged by her mother, a case of sexual assault was registered at the Govandi police station. The police, however, could only arrest one accused based on the information provided by the minor.

While the medical evidence proved the minor was raped, the DNA of the minor’s unborn child failed to match with that of the arrested accused. But the court accepted the argument of public prosecutor Jyoti Sawant that the victim’s testimony was enough to prove the case that she had been abused by her assailant and sentenced him to 10 years in jail.