Thane: Courageous 13-Year-Old Secures 20-Year Sentence for Father in POCSO Case

Thane, 4th March 2025: A brave statement from a 13-year-old girl resulted in the conviction of her 42-year-old father, a carpenter, for crimes under the Pocso Act, as determined by a special Pocso judge on Monday. The man received a sentence of 20 years of rigorous imprisonment.

Judge DS Deshmukh also imposed a fine of Rs 20,000, which is to be given to the victim as compensation, and referred the case to the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) for further evaluation of potential additional compensation.

Sandhya Mhatre, the special public prosecutor, informed the court that the accused resided in Kalwa with his two daughters from his first marriage, along with his second wife and her son.

On November 8, 2020, while the second wife and her son were absent and the victim was asleep, the accused assaulted her, threatening her to keep silent about the incident. The victim eventually confided in her older sister, who felt powerless since the accused was their father.

Later, the victim shared the details with her grandmother, who then informed her sister. Together, they took the victim to the police station, where the crime was reported, leading to the father’s arrest. He faced charges under the Indian Penal Code and the Pocso Act.

The prosecutor indicated that six witnesses, including the victim, testified during the trial. Notably, a relative who had assisted in filing the complaint changed her stance during the trial and retracted her support. Furthermore, family members attempted to dissuade the victim from testifying against her father.

Despite these pressures, the courageous girl testified against her father, resulting in his conviction. The Special Public Prosecutor remarked that the judge’s decision was based on the victim’s testimony and corroborating medical evidence, leading to the guilty verdict and sentence.