Mumbai man sentenced to life for raping minor

A special court in Mumbai has sentenced a 51-year-old man to life imprisonment for raping a 12-year-old girl. The man was found guilty of multiple instances of sexual assault and threatening the girl with physical harm. Both the accused and the victim lived in the same neighborhood. The case came to light in 2015. The girl's mother learned of the abuse after they encountered the man during a walk. The girl showed her mother signs of distress, prompting the mother to ask her what was wrong. The girl revealed that the man had raped her seven times and had beaten her. The family sought help from an NGO, leading to a police report filed at the Bangur Nagar station. The defense argued that the man was wrongly accused due to financial disputes. However, the court found no evidence to support this claim. The court, led by Judge S J Ansari, noted that the medical evidence supported the girl's accusations. In its ruling, the court highlighted the serious nature of crimes against children. It rejected calls for a lighter sentence based on the man's age and behavior in jail. The court instructed the District Legal Service Authority to ensure appropriate compensation for the victim, stressing that the girl's resilience does not mean she won't need rehabilitation.