Man sentenced to 10 years RI for rape of 9-year-old girl in Thane

A special court in Maharashtras Thane district has sentenced a man to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment for raping a nineyearold girl reported news agency PTISpecial judge DS Deshmukh on Friday found the accused guilty of charges under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences POCSO ActThe man a resident of Thane city was sentenced to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs 10000 was imposed on him reported PTIThe judge also directed that the fine be paid to the victim as compensation and referred the case to the DLSA for payment of additional compensation to the girlSpecial public prosecutor Sandhya H Mhatre informed the court that the girl and her widowed mother went to stay with her maternal grandparents where the accused a relative of theirs also lived reported PTIShe said the accused showed the girl objectionable videos and raped her repeatedly when they were aloneThe abuse which took place between April 2018 and March 2019 came to light when the mother saw the girl watching an objectionable video and the child told her everything reported PTIThe defence argued that a false case was registered against the accused due to a property dispute between the girls mother and his familyThe court however dismissed the defences argument stating that it was not cogent and believableCourt acquits man accused of sexually harassing 14yearold stepdaughterA court in Thane district in Maharashtra acquitted a man accused of sexually harassing his 14yearold stepdaughter after she denied allegations against him PTI reportedSpecial POCSO judge Ruby U Malvankar acquitted the man of charges under relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code IPC and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences POCSO ActA copy of the order passed on January 23 was made available on Tuesday PTI reportedThe special public prosecutor informed the court that the girl lived with her mother and stepfather in Thane districts Mira Road areaThe girl had alleged that her stepfather touched her inappropriately and showed her obscene videos and the harassment took place between January 2021 and February 2021 PTI reportedA case was registered based on the girls complaint and the man was arrested and was in police custody for five monthsAccording to the judge both the prime witnesses the girl and her mother who could have testified about the accuseds alleged misbehaviour and misconduct had failed to support the prosecutions caseThe court said the duo had stated that the man would beat the girl and angered by the beatings the mother filed a complaint in which she gave an exaggerated version of the factual circumstances as she was under the impression that the police would beat him and would release him after two to three days PTI reportedThe girl in her testimony claimed that her stepfather would beat her when she made a mistake and on the relevant day he had beaten her as he had thought that she was using his mobile phone and in a fit of anger they filed a complaintShe further denied that the man had shown her obscene videos and touched her inappropriately PTI reportedWith inputs from PTI