Justice Served: Man Sentenced to a Decade for Mumbra Assault

In a landmark judgment, a court in Mumbra has sentenced a 32-year-old man to ten years of rigorous imprisonment for the rape and sexual assault of an 11-year-old girl back in 2013. Special Judge Dinesh S Deshmukh, overseeing cases under the Protection Of Children from Sexual Offences Act, delivered the verdict on Wednesday.

The accused, Bablu alias Mohammad Mustapha Imtiyaz Shaikh, who was 20 years old at the time of the crime, was found guilty under the POCSO Act and sections of the Indian Penal Code concerning rape. Additionally, the court imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 on Shaikh, which is to be compensated to the survivor.

Special Public Prosecutor Sandhya Mhatre recounted the case events, stating that on July 6, 2013, Shaikh had threatened and assaulted the victim as she was returning from school. Following her report to her mother, Mumbra Police registered the complaint. Despite defense claims of false implications for personal gain, the court deemed the girl's testimony credible and upheld the conviction supported by medical evidence.

(With inputs from agencies.)