49-year-old man sentenced to 10 years in prison for sexually abusing a minor

Mumbai: A 49-year-old driver was sentenced to ten years in prison for sexually assaulting a 17-year-old girl. The case came to light when the girl was discovered to be pregnant in December 2017.

The victim was living with her aunt as her parents had died. In 2017, the girl was studying in Class 8 in a school in Malad (East). The complainant alleged that the girl was not well for the past few months and she had not had her period for the past few months. Hence, the victim’s aunt took her to the hospital on December 4, 2017. After examination, it was found that she was in her 28th week of pregnancy and her due date was given as February 2018.

The family was shocked and later confronted the girl. Only then did she reveal that the accused, who used to live near her house on rent, had stopped her on her way home from school in April 2017. He told her that there was some rice in his house which she must take and give to her aunt. The girl followed him to his house. The accused then sexually abused her.

When the girl resisted, the accused threatened her with defamation and said that she had come with him. The girl was afraid of defamation and did not tell anyone. However, the accused later repeated the act several more times.

The victim later gave birth to a boy in February 2018. DNA samples from the baby and the accused were taken for forensic testing, which confirmed that the accused was the biological father of the baby.

The prosecution relied heavily on the victim’s testimony. The special court relied on the victim supporter’s testimony and the forensic evidence and sentenced the man to ten years in prison.

Published on: Sunday, June 30, 2024, 01:49 IST