THANE: A security guard who raped a 64-year-old mentally-challenged woman inside her home in 2021 has been sentenced to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment by a court in Maharashtra’s Thane district. Additional Sessions Judge D. S. Deshmukh convicted the accused, Mohammad Guddu alias Dilkash Mohammad Habibulla Shaikh, under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 376 (rape), 354A(1)(i) (sexual harassment), and 452 (house trespass). The court also imposed a fine of Rs 65,000 on him. Additional Public Prosecutor Sandhya H. Mhatre told the court that the victim’s cognitive ability had remained underdeveloped throughout her life and that she was unmarried. She lived with her brother in the Naupada locality of the city.On the afternoon of 4 November 2021, the accused entered the victim’s house under the pretext of asking for drinking water when she was alone. He then pushed her to the floor, gagged her, and raped her before fleeing the scene.When the victim’s brother returned home later, he found his sister lying on the floor. She was unable to explain anything. He then took her to a doctor, who confirmed that she had been raped. A case was subsequently registered.However, before the trial could begin, the victim passed away.During the trial, the prosecution examined nine witnesses, including the victim’s brother and an official from the security agency that employed the accused. The medical evidence also supported the charges against the accused, Mhatre said.The judge ordered that the fine imposed on the convict be paid to the deceased victim’s brother as compensation.
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