Pune Court Sentences 48-Year-Old Man to 20 Years in POCSO Case

A Pune sessions court has convicted a 48-year-old man who worked as a government cook for raping a seven-year-old girl and sentenced him to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment (RI). The order was passed by Additional Sessions Judge HM Bhosale on April 17. In the order, the court emphasized that credible testimony of a minor victim can be sufficient for conviction, in the absence of conclusive forensic evidence.

According to the prosecution, the incident occurred on April 6, 2023, at the government institution in Dighi, where both the accused and the victim’s father were employed. The minor girl, then aged seven, was playing in a park near her residence when the accused allegedly lured her into a nearby toilet and sexually assaulted her.

The child disclosed the incident to her mother the following day, after which an FIR was registered at Vishrantwadi police station. The investigation included medical examination, forensic analysis, and even an in-house institution inquiry before the charge sheet was filed.

A key pillar of the prosecution’s case was the testimony of the victim, which the court found to be “natural, consistent and confidence-inspiring.” The court noted that minor inconsistencies are expected due to the trauma and age of the child and should not be grounds for rejection of evidence. Public prosecutor Advocate Arundhati Brahme represented the state.

The man has been convicted under the Indian Penal Code and Sections 3, 4, and 5 (b) and (m), punishable under Section 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. The court also imposed a fine of ₹50,000, directing that it be paid to the victim.