A special POCSO court in Thane, Maharashtra, sentenced a 29-year-old man to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment on Wednesday for raping his cognitively challenged sister-in-law seven years ago.
The court also imposed a fine of Rs 10,000, which will be paid to the survivor as compensation once collected.
Judge DS Deshmukh of the special court, which handles cases under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, instructed that the case be referred to the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) for further action.
Special Public Prosecutor Sandhya H Mhatre explained that the survivor, then 11, left her home in Ulhasnagar after a disagreement with her younger brother and went to stay with her married sister in Kalwa in March 2017. After a quarrel between her sister and brother-in-law, her sister left, leaving the minor with the accused, who worked as a caterer.
The court was informed that over the next few days, the accused repeatedly raped the girl. During one assault, the victim screamed, leading neighbors to intervene and the accused was subsequently arrested.
The court examined seven prosecution witnesses. Judge Deshmukh concluded that the prosecution had established the charges against the accused beyond reasonable doubt. Mhatre highlighted that the testimonies of the survivor and the examining doctor were crucial in convicting the accused and praised court constable Manoj Patankar for his role in locating the witnesses.
