5 handed 20-yr jail term for gangraping mentally disabled minor girl

MUMBAI: A special court has sentenced five persons to 20 years of imprisonment for gangraping a 16-year-old girl with intellectual disability in October 2016 in Dindoshi.

The order was pronounced by special judge MH Pathan on Friday, but the detailed order has not been made available yet.

The incident unfolded on October 21, 2016, when the minor girl, a resident of Malad, went out with her maternal aunt to recharge her mobile phone. When she did not return home and went missing, her mother lodged a complaint with the Dindoshi police. She was eventually found on October 25, roaming aimlessly on a beach, by a woman, identified as Shraddha.

The 16-year-old told the police that the accused took her in a rickshaw to a beach, where they sexually assaulted her. They also threatened her to remain on the beach and await their return.

As per the prosecution, the girl was 11-week pregnant, which was eventually terminated. The DNA tests had revealed that the accused sexually assaulted her several times.

During the bail hearing of one of the accused, the prosecution had contended that he had taken advantage of the fact that the girl was mentally unfit and had forcibly indulged in sexual acts with her.

The court convicted all five accused of the offence under section 376-D of the Indian Penal Code. However, it observed that the accused are “entitled to the benefit of set-off for the period they have already undergone in jail during the investigation”. The court further directed them to a pay a fine of ₹5,000 each.