Nagpur: Additional Sessions Judge R P Pande in Nagpur on Wednesday awarded rigorous life imprisonment to seven men — Atul alias Baba Naresh Janbandhu, Firoz Ahmed Jamil Ahmed, Swapnil Devanand Jawade, Mayur Ramesh Barsagde, Krishna Haridas Dongre, Jitu alias Channi Ramesh Manglani and Sachin Govindrao Bawne — for kidnapping and gang-raping a minor girl.
According to the prosecution, the 16-year-old inmate of Nagpur’s Government Observation Home for Girls, Katol Road, Sadar, had escaped with three of her friends around 7 am on April 20, 2017. In the night, they slept near the shutter of a shop. Next day, the victim inmate’s three friends returned to the observation home but she remained at the Sitabuldi flyover.
Atul alias Baba Naresh Janbandhu (22), a resident of Krishi Nagar, Jaripatka, Firoz Ahmed Jamil Ahmed(40), a resident of Naalsahab Chowk, Swapnil Devanand Jawade (27), a resident of Rahul Nagar, Somalwada, Mayur Ramesh Barsagde (26), a resident of Bodhada, Chimur, district Chandrapur, Krishna Haridas Dongre (24), a resident of Gautam Nagar, Sindhi Colony, Jitu alias Channi Ramesh Manglani (22), a resident of Plot No 321, Vyankatesh Nagar, Khamla, Sachin Govindrao Bawne (28), a resident of Kumbhartoli, Pralay Chandu Meshram (26), Somil Ashok Narkhedkar (28), both residents of Sugat Nagar, Suresh Damodhar Barsagde (60), a resident of MHADA Colony, Nari and Manohar Akdu Sakhare (70), a resident of Plot No 80, Samata Nagar, lured her with food and shelter.
The 16-year-old runaway girl was spotted by an auto-rickshaw driver Krishna Dongre near Mor Bhavan. He offered her some snacks and brought her to Variety Square and handed her over to Firoz who was a roadside shoe vendor. Firoz and other accused then took her to a flat in Jaripatka area and gang-raped her on April 21, 2017 and April 22, 2017.
Following a complaint lodged by the gang-rape survivor, Sitabuldi Police had registered a case under Sections 363,366,376,120 (b) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), read with Sections 6, 7 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (PoCSO) Act against the accused persons. On April 23, police arrested all the accused persons.
Police Sub-Inspector Deepali Raut investigated the case and filed a chargesheet against the accused persons. As the charges were proved against Atul alias Baba Naresh Janbandhu, Firoz Ahmed Jamil Ahmed, Swapnil Devanand Jawade, Mayur Ramesh Barsagde, Krishna Haridas Dongre, Jitu alias Channi Ramesh Manglani and Sachin Govindrao Bawne, the court sentenced them to rigorous life imprisonment for the offence under Section 376 (d) of the IPC with a fine of Rs 10,000 each.
For the offence under Section 363 of the IPC, the court sentenced them to two years rigorous imprisonment with a fine of Rs 5000 each. Similarly, the court sentenced them to one year rigorous imprisonment with a fine of Rs 3000 each for the offence under Section 506 of the IPC. All the sentences would run concurrently.
The court acquitted accused Pralay Meshram, Somil Narkhedkar, Suresh Barsagde and Manohar Sakhare as the charges could not be substantiated against them. Additional Public Prosecutor Madhuri Motghare represented the State.
