Rapist of mentally disabled and speech-impaired girl nailed to death; receives life sentence

Palghar: The testimony of a mentally disabled 16-year-old girl, who also cannot use sign language, led to the conviction of her rapist in Palghar district of Maharashtra.

A special court in Vasai, which hears cases under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, sentenced the convict, a 48-year-old labourer, to life imprisonment on Friday.

In his verdict, Special POCSO Judge SV Kongal also imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 on the convict Sanehi Shrikisan Gaud.

During the trial, Special Public Prosecutor Jayprakash Patil told the court that Gaud raped the girl, who lived in his neighbourhood, in January 2017 when no one was in her house.

The child later told his mother about the sexual assault through gestures, whereupon the family filed a police report against Gaud, who is married and has two children.

Patil said nine prosecution witnesses testified in court, including the survivor, who communicated using sign language.

The court found that the girl had a moderate mental disability and was unable to “understand the good and evil and right and wrong of a crime, which makes the act a serious one.”

“Given the nature of the crime, I consider that the defendant must be given the maximum penalty,” the judge said in his ruling, which sentenced Gaud to life imprisonment.