Mumbai: The special POCSO court has sentenced a 57-year-old grandfather of the victim, to life imprisonment for sexually abusing a minor girl who was staying with him and his family after her parents left her at the age of 2.
The father of the victim was addicted to liquor hence her mother of the victim left her two-year-old daughter and ran away. Therefore, since 2009, when the victim was two-year-old, she was brought up by the accused and his wife, the victim's grandparents as her guardians. She was residing with them till 2020.
Depressed victim reveals her ordeal
Since, two months before registration of the case, the victim was residing with her aunt. The case is lodged on October 30, 2020. When the victim came to reside at her aunt's place, she was found to be depressed, when the family confronted her, she revealed her ordeal. The girl was married in September 2020.
The girl claimed that, since 2019, the accused used to make sexual advances and exploited her sexually. The girl claimed that on August 8, 2020 he came close to her at around 11 pm and sexually abused her till 2 am. The girl claimed that this started in 2019, when she was in 7th standard and 13 years old.
Prosecution examines witnesses
The prosecution examined five witnesses, the victim, her aunt who registered the case, medical officers who examined the victim and the investigating officer. The medical officer confirmed that the girl was subjected to sexual assault and there were old hymen tear injuries.
The defence raised a question on delay in registering the case, since the first instance is said to have happened in 2019.
The court rejected the arguments observing, "Considering the circumstances in which the victim was residing, accused was her caretaker and she was orphan, it was obvious that she neither could resist the acts of accused nor could report it. She was a helpless child caught in a compelling situation."
The court while holding the accused guilty of sexual assault on the minor girl, observed that the testimony of the victim is corroborated by medical evidence and inspires confidence. Hence based on the victim's testimony, the court sentenced him to life imprisonment and also recommended the District Legal Aid Society to provide adequate compensation to the girl who is an orphan.
