Two get 7 year rigorous imprisonment for raping, abducting teenaged girl

A Thane court has sentenced two persons to seven years rigorous imprisonment for abducting and raping a teenaged girl here in 2012.

District and sessions judge Ms S C Khalipe also imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 each on the two accused - Devendra Kolhe, 27, and Ravindra alias Aditya Suresh Lokare, 31 - while pronouncing the sentence yesterday.

The prosecution told the court that on June 17, 2012 Kolhe kidnapped the girl, then aged 15, and raped her in his car in the district's Kalwa town.

Both Kolhe and the girl were residents of the same locality in Kalwa.

The victim later went alone to the Kalwa railway station from where Lokare took her to his house in Panvel on the pretext of offering her help, and raped her.

When the minor did not reach home, her father lodged a missing person's complaint with the Kalwa police.

The girl was later traced to Pune and brought back to Kalwa following which offences were registered against the two accused on June 22, 2012.

In her order, the judge said the victim's evidence on record was trustworthy, believable and natural.

There is no admission from her to discredit her evidence and therefore, "I conclude that the prosecution has proved the ingredients of offence under section 376 (rape) of the Indian Penal Code," she said.

"Considering the nature of offence, I am of the view that the accused are liable to be punished with maximum sentence and fine," the judge further said.

She said the fine amount was to be paid to the victim as compensation.

"However, I find that the fine amount is not an adequate compensation. Therefore, the district legal services authority is requested to give an adequate compensation to the victim as per rules," the judge said.

(PTI)