Man gets 20 years in jail for raping 15-year-old daughter

A special fast track court in Kalyan in Thane sentenced a man to 20-year rigorous imprisonment for repeatedly raping his 15-year-old daughter. Special (POCSO) Judge VA Patravale found him guilty under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and Indian Penal Code (IPC). It also fined the man Rs 28,000, which is to be given to the victim as compensation. As per the prosecution, the victim, who had been living with her grandparents following her mother's demise, moved in with her father a few months prior to the incident. The abuse began with sexual advances in September 2019 and culminated in rape on October 13, 2019, while the girl's stepmother was away. The accused subsequently kept the victim under strict surveillance, changing mobile passwords and escorting her to school to prevent her from seeking help, the prosecution told court. The matter came to light on November 5, 2019, when the victim managed to flee to her maternal aunt's residence following further harassment, leading to the registration of an FIR at Manpada police station. In its order, the court said the evidence of the victim of a sexual assault stands almost on par with the evidence of an injured witness and to an extent is even more reliable. ''The court must, while evaluating evidence, remain alive to the fact that in a case of rape, no self-respecting woman would come forward in a court just to make a humiliating statement against her honour such as is involved in the commission of rape on her,'' the order stated. The testimony of the victim in such cases is vital and unless there are compelling reasons which necessitate looking for corroboration of her statement, the courts should find no difficulty to act on the testimony of a victim of sexual assault alone to convict an accused, it added.