Mumbai: Youth gets 7 years rigorous imprisonment for sexually assaulting friend’s sister

A special court has sentenced a youth in his mid-20s to seven years of rigorous imprisonment for abducting and sexually assaulting the 13-year-old sister of his friend at his home overnight by tying her hands and legs and gagging her in 2017.

The court noted that the victim was a minor at the time of the incident and that the incident has left an adverse impact on her mind and soul. While deciding the quantum of sentence, the court considered that the accused was a mature person during the time and his heinous act on the child has left a lifelong emotional and psychological impact on her. It also considered that the youth has no criminal antecedents and has been in custody for the past five years while sentencing him for a minimum punishment of seven years imprisonment. 

Accused forcibly pulled the victim to his place and sexually assaulted her

The incident had taken place on the intervening night of Sep 11 and Sep 12, 2017. Prosecutor Veena Shelar said the victim’s mother had sent her to purchase coriander at 8 pm, but the teen had got lost. At the time, the accused who was known to her had forcibly pulled her into his home. There, he had tied her up, gagged her and sexually assaulted her several times during the night. She had managed to escape only in the morning when he slept. She was on the road in her area crying and met a few ladies, who called her mother. Her parents had been searching for her all night, but had not managed to trace her. Her mother then lodged the complaint with the local police station. 

Accused claims he wanted to marry the victim

The accused had taken the defence during trial that the victim knew him as he was her brother’s friend and wanted to marry him. He contended that she had threatened to file a false case when he drove her out of the house when she insisted on the same. The court did not believe this version.