Mumbai: A 45-year-old man was, on Thursday, sentenced by a special court to life imprisonment for raping his teenaged daughter repeatedly over a period of four months.
Special Judge Priti Kumar, under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, directed that the victim be paid compensation under the Victim Compensation Scheme.
The 16-year-old did not get any support from her mother when she told her about her ordeal. The trauma began when the girl was 10 years old and came to light when she confided in her school counsellor after a Police Didi program was held in her school, which taught children about good and bad touch and urged them to inform the police if anything untoward happened with them.
The counsellor promptly informed the school’s principal on realising that the girl had no family support. The municipal school principal then informed a child rights NGO. The NGO worker met the girl and took her to Agripada police, where a complaint was lodged.
Special Public Prosecutor Veena Shelar said the school’s counsellor, principal and NGO worker deposed in court in support of the prosecution case whereas the girl’s mother deposed as a defense witness, alleging that it was a false complaint. The girl had been living in Dongri Children’s Home since the complaint was filed two years ago.
