A court in Maharashtra's Thane district has sentenced a man to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment for raping his 17-year-old relative and causing her pregnancy. Special Judge A.D. Harnay found the accused, Jeevan Ashok Vadwinde, guilty under the relevant provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses Act and the Indian Penal Code.
The court imposed a 20-year rigorous imprisonment sentence with a fine of 20,000 rupees. 18,000 rupees from this fine will be given to the victim as compensation. The court also recommended that the Thane District Legal Services Authority determine further compensation for the victim. The order, dated May 22nd, was made available on Saturday.
According to the prosecution, the accused sexually assaulted the girl at a relative's home in Dombivli during the night of July 5-6, 2020. The crime came to light a month later when the girl was found pregnant and informed her family. The judge emphasized the testimony of the victim, which included medical reports and a birth certificate proving she was a minor.
He stated in his judgment, "The court must consider the social impact of the crime, especially when it concerns crimes against women. The court must also take into account the seriousness of the crime, the victim's age, and the stigma faced by the victim in society."
In April, another criminal was sentenced to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment for raping a minor girl in Thane. This incident occurred in 2019. District Judge N.K. Karande at the Bhiwandi court found the accused, Lalla Mahmood Shah, guilty under the Indian Penal Code and relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses Act.
The accused was fined 5,000 rupees. Judge N.K. Karande stated in his order, "The prosecution successfully proved all charges against the accused beyond reasonable doubt." Special Public Prosecutor Vijay Munde informed the court that on August 22, 2019, the accused broke into the home of a 14-year-old girl and raped her at knifepoint.
After committing the act, the accused fled the scene. Referring to the victim's filed complaint, they informed the court that this was the second sexual assault on the girl by the same accused, with the first having occurred eight days prior. Advocates Munde and Khandagle revealed that the court examined five witnesses, including the victim, her mother, and grandmother, to substantiate the charges against the accused.
