Man Sentenced to 20 Years for Raping Six-Year-Old Girl in Nagpur
A 59-year-old man, Edwin Michael Francis, has been handed a 20-year rigorous imprisonment sentence by Special Judge RP Pande for raping a six-year-old girl in Nagpur. The court also levied a fine of Rs 10,000 on him for the heinous crime. According to the prosecution, Edwin Francis and the victim's family were residing in the same locality in the MIDC area. Following Edwin's unpleasant behavior, his landlady asked him to vacate the premises. Subsequently, Edwin relocated to a rented house in Takli Sim, Hingna Road, within the same vicinity. The victim, familiar with Edwin as a neighbor, referred to him as 'Bade Papa.' On November 3, 2022, around noon, the victim, a KG-2 student, ventured to a nearby grocery store to purchase chocolates. Edwin encountered the girl, bought her a 'Frooti' soft drink, and lured her to his residence, where he sexually assaulted her. Upon the parents' return, the distressed victim disclosed the ordeal. Subsequently, the parents rushed her to a private hospital, where medical advice prompted them to file a police complaint. Following the complaint at MIDC Police Station, Edwin was arrested under Sections 376-A and 376-B of the IPC, combined with Sections 4 and 6 of the PoCSO Act. Police officers Apurva Borkar and Yogesh Mohite conducted the investigation, leading to a chargesheet and subsequent court proceedings. After examination of nine prosecution witnesses, the court found Edwin guilty and sentenced him to 20 years with a Rs 10,000 fine for the offenses under Sections 376-AB of the IPC. Failure to pay the fine will result in an additional year of Rigrous Imprisonment. The fine, if paid, will be allocated to the victim as compensation per Section 357 of the Code of Criminal Procedure post-appeal period. The State was represented by Additional Public Prosecutor Aasawari Palsodkar, while Defense Counsel Adv S R Dwivedi acted on behalf of Edwin in the courtroom.
