HC upholds life sentence for 50-year-old man for raping 5 minor girls | Mumbai News

According to prosecutors, the incident came to light in 2013 when a witness saw the defendant raping one of the girls and alerted her mother. Subsequent investigations revealed that he had sexually abused the five girls over a long period of time.

Based on a complaint by the mother of one of the girls, an FIR was filed against the accused at Valiv police station under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012.

The accused was prosecuted and on March 29, 2014, a Vasai judge sentenced him to life imprisonment for the rape of the five girls. He then appealed to the Supreme Court, challenging his conviction on various grounds.

The bench, comprising Revati Mohite Dere and Prithviraj Chavan, dismissed his appeal on Wednesday on the grounds that the evidence available duly substantiated the charges against him.

“Not only do the survivors' statements inspire confidence, but these are also corroborated by the medical evidence and the testimony of PW6, who witnessed the sexual assault,” the court said, upholding his conviction and the life sentence imposed on him.

“All the survivors were minors between the ages of 8 and 13 years. There is a presumption under Section 29 of the POCSO Act. This presumption has not been rebutted by the appellant,” the court observed.