Mumbai: A special court in Thane, Maharashtra, has convicted a man, Santosh Kashinath Shinde, for sexually assaulting and harassing a seven-year-old girl in 2019. However, he was acquitted of the more serious charges of rape and unnatural sex due to insufficient evidence.
In a verdict delivered on July 4, Special Judge D S Deshmukh sentenced Shinde to the duration he had already spent in custody since his arrest in 2019, as reported by news agency PTI.
According to the prosecution, the incident took place on August 28, 2019. The girl's mother filed a police complaint at Chitalsar Police Station, alleging that Shinde lured the child into his home and committed sexual acts while she was away at work.
Similar Case
In another news story of the crime, a man has been sentenced to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment by a court in Maharashtra’s Thane district for raping and impregnating his 17-year-old relative.
The verdict, delivered by Special Judge A D Harne, held the accused, Jivan Ashok Vadvinde, guilty under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, according to a PTI report.
In addition to the prison term, the court imposed a fine of Rs 20,000 on the convict. Out of this, Rs 18,000 is to be given to the survivor as compensation. The judge also directed the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA), Thane, to assess and determine any additional compensation for the victim.
According to the prosecution, the offence took place during the night of July 5–6, 2020, at a relative's residence in Dombivli. The incident came to light a month later when the minor was found to be pregnant and confided in her family. The court's judgment, dated May 22, was made public on Saturday.
