Mahima
The 65-year-old accused of raping his daughter and minor granddaughter a few years ago has been convicted, sentencing the man to life imprisonment. A special court under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act in Mumbai delivered the order and praised the police for tracing down the woman and her daughter in Gujarat.
The court acknowledged the efforts of public prosecutor Veena Shelar due to which both the victims were examined. Justice Rekha N Pandhare found the accused guilty under Section 376(2) of IPC and relevant sections under POCSO Act. Apart from life sentence, the convict is also ordered to pay a compensation of Rs. 50,000 and Rs. 25,000 to his daughter and granddaughter, respectively.
The court also noticed that the convict’s wife deliberately kept the victims away from the proceedings on the advice of the convict’s lawyer. The court mentioned in its judgment, “It is alleged by the informant (wife of the convict) that the advocate for accused restrained the witnesses from remaining present in the court for [recording] evidence. Apart from that, it is also reported that the wife of the accused informed the informant that she should not come to the court till the advocate for the accused asked for.”
The court has also sent a copy of its judgment to the Bar Council of India so that required action can be taken against the lawyer to prevent similar actions from happening. The daughter stated in the court that she was sexually assaulted by her father ever since her puberty.
However, this particular incident happened a few years ago after which she was threatened that her children will be killed if she reported the incident. A month later, the woman’s 10-year-old daughter told her that her grand father attempted to sexually abuse her.
The convict raped his daughter again a month later after which she reported the incidents to the Bhandup police station. The convict argued that the allegations against him are false and merely over property dispute which was refused by the court.
