Thane, February 11 A court in Thane district of Maharashtra has sentenced a 35-year-old man to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment for repeatedly sexually assaulting a minor girl.
Delivering the verdict, Special Judge (POCSO) V A Patravale from the Kalyan court stated that the testimony of a survivor in cases of sexual offenses carries significant weight and "inspires confidence," even in the absence of corroborating evidence.
A copy of the order dated January 31 was made available on Wednesday. Special public prosecutors Bhamre Patil and R R Bhoir examined 12 witnesses to prove the charges against the man.
According to the prosecution, Bansode had repeatedly sexually abused a Class 5 student in his neighborhood until her family members became aware of the crime in 2016.
While the defense argued that the case was a result of a family dispute and pointed to a three-day delay in filing the police complaint, the court accepted the prosecution's explanation that the girl's family initially feared social discrimination.
"The testimony of the victim in such cases is vital. Unless there are compelling reasons that necessitate seeking corroboration of her statement, courts should not have difficulty in acting solely on the testimony of a victim of sexual assault to convict the accused, provided that her testimony is credible and inspires confidence," the court stated in its order.
The court also noted that the survivor clearly articulated the assault once she took her time.
Besides handing the convict a 10-year prison term, the court also imposed a fine of Rs 12,000. The judge said that the survivor is entitled to compensation under the government's compensation scheme in such matters.