Wardha court sentences 55-year-old man to 20 years' rigorous imprisonment in POCSO case
A Wardha court has sentenced Bhimrao Khushal Patil, who lived as a monk at a Buddhist vihar in Karanja, to 20 years' rigorous imprisonment and fined him Rs 20,000.
A Wardha district and sessions court has sentenced an accused to prison in a case under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. Judge Ansari of the D.J.3 court passed the order. The accused is Bhimrao Khushal Patil, alias Bhanteji, 55, a resident of Lohari Savanga, Narkhed tehsil, Nagpur district.
The case was registered at Karanja police station under crime number 382/24. Sections 376(3)(N) and 376(AB) of the Indian Penal Code were invoked, along with Sections 4 and 6 of the POCSO Act.
The court sentenced the accused to 20 years' rigorous imprisonment under Sections 376(3), 376(AB) and Section 6 of the POCSO Act. A fine of Rs 20,000 was also imposed. If he does not pay the fine, he will have to serve one year of simple imprisonment.
According to the case, the accused lived as a monk at a Buddhist vihar in Kakda, in Karanja (Ghadge) tehsil. It is alleged that he called a minor girl into a room at the back of the vihar, closed the door and sexually assaulted her. The girl's mother reported the matter to the police, and the case was registered at Karanja police station under the sections mentioned above on that complaint.
Assistant Police Inspector Dhanashree Kutemate investigated the case and filed the chargesheet in court after completing the probe. Public Prosecutor Prasad Soitkar conducted the entire trial for the government.
Head Constable Pancham Kotgirwar, buckle number 470, brought the witnesses to court from time to time, a role that proved important alongside the prosecutor. Police Inspector Pralhad Madan, station house officer of Karanja police station, also briefed the witnesses repeatedly and guided them so that they could give effective testimony against the accused.
Judge Ansari examined the testimony of the complainant mother, the victim and the investigating officer. On the basis of the available evidence, she sentenced the accused under Sections 376(3), 376(AB) and Sections 4 and 6 of the POCSO Act to 20 years' rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs 20,000, with one year of simple imprisonment in default of payment.
The details were provided by Vinod Chaudhari, Police Inspector, Local Crime Branch, Wardha.
