Mumbai: Man gets 10-yr jail for sexually assaulting stepdaughter

Mumbai: A 39-year-old man was sentenced on Friday to ten years of rigorous imprisonment (RI) for sexually assaulting his 16-year-old stepdaughter and impregnating her. The crime came to fore when the minor was over four months pregnant.

Special Judge SC Jadhav under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) also imposed a fine of Rs20,000 on the convict.

The court also recommended that compensation be paid to the victim under the state’s victim compensation scheme.

Prosecutor Veena Shelar said that nine witnesses were examined during the trial. In her testimony before the court, the victim had said that she had not revealed the matter as the man had threatened her. She further said that the convict's intimidation compelled her to lie to her mother that she had a sexual relationship with someone in the neighbourhood, and the pregnancy is the result of the same. The pregnancy was later aborted.

Initially, she narrated this story even before the magistrate. Statements are recorded before the magistrate in such cases so that the victims do not retract them later. During the trial, she explained why she had lied. The court also sentenced the man to two years jail under Sec 506(II) of the Indian Penal Code (criminal intimidation).

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