Man Who Raped, Impregnated Minor Gets 10 Years In Prison

A 56-year-old man in India was sentenced to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment this week for raping and impregnating a 16-year-old girl.

The man, identified as Vamana Poojari, from Sasihitlu near Surathkal, had raped and threatened the unnamed teenage girl when she was alone in her home in September 2016, NDTV reported, citing charging documents.

The man then continued to sexually abuse the girl, which resulted in her getting pregnant.

The victim gave birth to a baby girl at a private hospital on March 29, 2017.

A complaint was lodged against Poojari at Surathkal police station. A DNA test later confirmed that Poojari was the biological father of the baby. The Surathkal police had filed the charge sheet in the case.

Poojari was sentenced to prison by Second Fast Track Special Court Judge K. M. Radhakrishna under Section 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. The judge also imposed a fine of Rs 30,000 ($395).

Poojari was also handed one year of simple imprisonment for issuing a life threat. In addition, the court ordered that the survivor be compensated with Rs 4 lakh ($5,266).

The 56-year-old man will face two months of simple imprisonment if he fails to settle the penalties set by the court.

Earlier this week, four national-level swimmers were arrested by Bengaluru's Sanjaynagar police Tuesday in a gang-rape case after the survivor, who works as a nurse in a private hospital, lodged a complaint with authorities, Hindustan Times reported.

The accused were identified as Rajath, Shiv Rana, Dev Saroha and Yogesh Kumar, hailing from Delhi. The four swimmers, who were all in their 20s, came to Bengaluru for training and were apprehended in various parts of the city.

Their accuser, identified as a 22-year-old woman from West Bengal, had allegedly befriended Rajath on a dating app and met him for dinner at a hotel on New BEL Road on March 24. Later, Rajath allegedly invited her to his room, which he shared with three others.

After she went to his room, all four men allegedly took turns and raped her, according to the woman's complaint.

A medical examination of the victim has confirmed sexual abuse and rape, Hindustan Times reported, citing unnamed police sources. The investigation into the case is ongoing.