Man gets life imprisonment for sexually assaulting minor girl in Maharashtra

A special POCSO court here has sentenced a man to life imprisonment for sexually assaulting a six-year-old girl in Maharashtra’s Palghar district in 2018, describing the crime as “heinous”.

Special Judge N K Karande, delivering the verdict on March 11, held the accused, Sandesh Ganpat Kharpade (35), guilty under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

The court also imposed a fine of Rs 5,000 on the



accused.

The incident occurred on August 5, 2018, in Wada taluka of Palghar district.

According to the prosecution, the accused lured the victim to his house on the pretext of giving her sweets while her parents were away at work and sexually assaulted her.

The assault resulted in severe injuries to the child, who was later found bleeding by her parents.

The court relied on the victim’s “trustworthy” testimony and medical evidence that confirmed the assault.