Mumbai: Watchman gets 10-year jail for raping dance teacher

The sessions court on Thursday convicted a 32-year-old watchman for raping a woman and sentenced him to 10 years’ rigorous imprisonment.

The sessions court on Thursday convicted a 32-year-old watchman for raping a woman and sentenced him to 10 years’ rigorous imprisonment.

“The court convicted the accused, Pramod Upadhyay, for raping the woman and stealing her belongings,” said an officer from Powai police station.

According to the prosecution, the woman, a 28-year-old dance teacher, lived with her brother in a building in Powai where Upadhyay worked as a watchman.

On January 23 last year, she had gone out with friends for dinner and returned very late in an inebriated state. The watchman took advantage of her condition and raped her in the building’s parking area and left her there, said the officer.

The woman’s brother saw her when he was returning from his morning walk.

The woman could not identify the accused, but Upadhyay was arrested on the basis of CCTV footage which showed him walking with the woman towards the parking area.

The police also took the help of a dental expert who concluded that bite mark on the victim’s body matched the pattern and dimensions of Upadhyay’s teeth.

The special judge for women’s cases Vrushali Joshi upheld the prosecution’s case.