Mumbai: Thane’s special Protection of Children Against Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) court has convicted a middle-aged couple under the charges of raping a minor, thus sentenced them to ten years of imprisonment.
The court held the 53-year-old man guilty of raping the minor, while his 45-year-old wife was convicted of abetting the crime by forcing the victim to behave as the wife of the accused. Additionally, the court directed both accused to pay ₹25,000 each as punishment for the crime.
The case dates back to 2014, when the 18-year-old victim filed an FIR against the couple for raping her under the pretext of marriage. In her statement, the victim claimed that the accused, Jitendra Tiwari, became acquainted with her while visiting her house to meet her brother under the guise of work.
The accused raped the victim multiple times, promising to marry her. The victim was shocked when the accused’s wife not only accepted her as the accused’s second wife but also insisted she stay with the couple and spend time with the accused.
In her statement, the victim recounted that on one occasion, the accused took her to a temple, applied vermillion to her forehead, and pretended to marry her.
However, he never legally married the victim. When she became pregnant and the accused still refused to marry her, she approached the police and filed a complaint against both him and his wife. After reviewing the medical evidence, the court found the couple guilty of raping the minor
