Labourer sentenced to 10 years in jail for minor's rape

A district court sentenced a 25- year-old labourer to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment for raping his 17-year-old neighbour in Maharashtra's Thane district.

In an order issued on November 18, additional sessions judge P P Jadhav also fined the accused Mubarak Mohammadali Sayyad a sum of Rs 25,000.

The prosecution informed the court that the accused, a resident of Ambewadi in Wagle Estate, was the victim's neighbour and had befriended her.

Sayyad raped the victim on several occasions after promising to marry her, the prosecution said, adding that he later got her pregnant.

The victim narrated her ordeal to her mother, following which

an offence under section 376 (rape) of the Indian Penal Code and also relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POSCO) Act was registered against the accused.

Considering the gravity of the offence and to set an example in society, the court observed that a punishment of 10 years rigorous imprisonment and Rs 25,000 fine is inflicted on the accused.