Thane: A special Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act court on Tuesday sentenced a 39-year-old private bus driver to life imprisonment after finding him guilty of kidnapping, sexually assaulting and attempting to murder a four-year-old girl in 2020.
Special Pocso judge D S Deshmukh also imposed a fine of Rs 60,000 on the convict. The judge directed that the money be paid to the survivor as compensation and also referred the case to the District Legal Services Authority for additional compensation.
According to prosecutor Sandhya H Mhatre, on Dec 20, 2020, the accused kidnapped the girl from outside her home, raped her and tried to strangle her. Assuming that she was dead, he put her in a gunny bag and dumped it on the roadside. Passersby noticed the sack and rescued the child. On returning home, she narrated her ordeal to her parents, who filed a police complaint. The accused was arrested the same day.