Maharashtra: Man gets 10 years in jail for raping teen girl

THANE, (PTI): A sessions court in Maharashtra’s Thane district has sentenced a man to 10 years in jail for raping a teen girl.

Special Judge MP Patwari sentenced Ashwin Tarpe (28) under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and also fined him Rs 5,000.

Tarpe had entered the house of the 17-year-old victim when she was alone and raped her at knifepoint in March 2013, said Special Public Prosecutor Vivek Kadu.

In 2017, he again raped her several times and impregnated her, following which the latter’s mother filed a police complaint.

The court order said the accused and the minor victim were in a consensual romantic relationship but since her consent was inconsequential it amounts to statutory rape.

Having regards to the facts and circumstances of the case as well as the nature of offence and age of the accused, the court sentenced the man to 10 years in jail.

The order was delivered on December 12 and its details were made available on Friday. (PTI)