Pune: Pune District Court’s Special Judge Mahendra Mahajan has sentenced a man to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 15,000 for the sexual assault of a minor girl. The court’s judgement further specifies that failure to pay the fine will result in an additional year of imprisonment.
The convict has been identified as Kundlik Gulabrao Jadhav (40, resident of Hadpsar). According to the prosecution, the incident took place on 27th August 2020, when Jadhav called two minor girls to his residence. He showed the children explicit videos on his mobile phone before asking one of the girls to leave the house. He then sexually assaulted the girl who remained inside.
The frightened girls informed their families about the incident, leading to Jadhav’s arrest by the police. A case was registered at the Wanowrie Police Station (under the Pune City Police Commissionerate) under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act of 2012.
Advocate Gaurav Jachak represented the victims on behalf of the Muskan Foundation and assisted the prosecution in getting a punishment for the accused. Public Prosecutor Milind Datrange argued the case for the government.
According to reports, the prosecution presented a total of 14 witnesses to testify. After considering the testimonies and forensic evidence, the court found Jadhav guilty.
In addition to the 20-year sentence, the judge ordered that the Rs 15,000 fine be paid to the victim as compensation. The court emphasised that the stringent punishment reflects the gravity of the crime against a minor.
