Thane: A Thane court has sentenced a man to 20 years' rigorous imprisonment for sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl in 2021, which led to her pregnancy, observing that the crime was "heinous" and must be dealt with stringently.
Additional Sessions Judge-3, DS Deshmukh, in the judgment on Friday, said the act of the 34-year-old accused, who is married and also has a son, has to be viewed seriously and he is not entitled to leniency.
The court convicted the accused, Sahid Mohammad Ramzan Hasmi, under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act section 5 (aggravated penetrative sexual assault) and also imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 on him.
A copy of the order was received on Sunday.
Special Public Prosecutor Sanjay Londge told the court that the victim had lodged a complaint alleging that in May 2021, the accused, who resided in her neighbourhood in the Kashimira area here, sexually assaulted her after offering to drop her home and later calling her to his house.
The accused also threatened to kill her if she informed anyone about the offence.
The victim suffered severe stomach pain in July 2021, and a subsequent medical examination in August revealed she was pregnant.
She initially informed about the incident to another man. Later, after her mother took her into confidence, she told her about the offence committed by the accused.
After hearing both sides, the judge said the act done by the accused is "heinous".
The prosecution has proved that the accused had committed aggravated penetrative sexual assault on the victim twice, due to which she became pregnant, and also threatened her, the court observed.
The judge rejected the defence's claim that the case was false due to a monetary dispute.
In view of the oral evidence of the victim and her mother and also clear documentary evidence- the DNA report - on record, this defence taken by the accused is not acceptable, he said.
"It is pertinent to note here that for such a lame reason, nobody can use his minor child to implicate the person in a false case by levelling such type of allegations," the court noted.
Regarding the severity of the crime and sentencing, the judge said, "The act of sexual assault on the child is to be viewed seriously and such offences are to be dealt with stringent manner."
In this case, the accused, being a married person and having a small son, "committed aggravated penetrative sexual assault on the victim and impregnated her," the court said.
"The act of the accused is heinous. It has to be viewed seriously. Considering the submissions of both sides and the nature of offence, the accused is not entitled for leniency," it said.
The court also directed that the fine amount, if recovered, be given to the victim. The case has been recommended to the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) for compensation to the victim.
(Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by FPJ's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)
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