BENGALURU: A child-friendly court in the city has convicted a 28-year-old man for raping a 17-year-old girl. Judge R Sharada sentenced the him to undergo simple imprisonment for a period of 10 years and pay a fine of Rs 5,000, as the prosecution had proved the guilt of the accused beyond reasonable doubt.
In its order dated December 2, 2019, the court directed the registry to send a copy of the judgment to the District Legal Services Authority, Bengaluru Urban District, for award of compensation to the victim.
The accused, 28-year-old H S Mahesh, hails from Mandya district and is a resident under Kamakshipalya police station limits.
“The evidence of the victim is pivotal to the prosecution case. Both the evidence of complainant—the mother—and the victim corroborates with the incident. The court also takes note that normally, in most of the cases, no woman or parent would come openly to the public by staking her career and honour by making false allegations. Keeping all these factors and other witnesses, I hold that the prosecution has proved the guilt of the accused,” the judge noted.
The incident happened in Kamakshipalya police station limits on April 24, 2014. According to the complaint filed by the victim’s mother, the accused would often tease the victim. The accused was a colleague of the victim’s mother who worked in a mosquito net manufacturing company.
On April 24, Mahesh took the girl to the house of a neighbouring woman, whose house key used to be with him. At the time, the victim’s mother was at work and Mahesh took the victim there and raped her. He also threatened the victim if she disclosed the incident to anyone.
The accused was arrested on May 5, 2014, and remanded to judicial custody. After the probe, Kamakshipalya police filed a chargesheet against the accused under the POCSO Act and Indian Penal Code.
Of the 12 witnesses examined by the prosecution, the victim and her mother supported the complaint and statements given by them. The counsel for the accused subjected them to cross-examination but failed to elicit any contradictions to defeat the prosecution.