Police Head Constable sentenced to 15 years RI in rape case

Mumbai, July 13 (UNI) The session court here today sentenced fifteen years rigorous imprisonment and slapped a fine of Rs 52,700 to a former head constable Chandrakant Pawar, guilty of raping a minor girl on October 17 last year.

Additional Sessions Judge K U Chandiwal while awarding announcing imprisonment period noted since that the crime is being committed by a police head constable, its impact on the society can't be ruled out.

Taking into considerations the age and status of the accused and the victim, judge passed the order and sentenced him under sections of IPC 363, 366, 376(2) and 323.

In the rape charges he was convicted for 15 years RI and with a fine of Rs 50,000 in default of which he had to undergo one year's additional imprisonment.

Under IPC 363 the accused was sentenced to one year RI and Fine of Rs 500, 366 three years and fine of Rs 2,000 and 323 one month and fine of Rs 200. The accused had to undergo the sentences in all four charges concurrently, judge observed.

While special Public Prosecutor Raja Thakre sought Life sentence to the accused considering the gravity of the case that too committed by a police head constable, the Defence Counsel Anjali Patil sought lesser punishment reminding the court's earlier judgement with regard to Sunil More's case in which the accused had committed the crime inside the police chowky and Pawar is the only bread earner to the family.

Pawar, attached with the Sahar police station, was arrested on the charge of raping a 15-year-old rag-picker in the vicinity of the police station itself.

He was caught by some local people while committing the crime and was handed over to Sahar police station which registered a case and arrested him. Pawar was later suspended from the service.

The proceedings in this case have been completed by Additional Sessions Judge K U Chandiwal in a record six months time.

The trial in the case was conducted on a day-to-day basis and a total of 13 witnesses including investigating officer, the victim and her sister had been examined.

Incidentally, in the infamous Marine Drive rape case, the same judge had sentenced former constable Sunil More to 12 years RI on April three this year, for raping a teenaged girl inside the Marine Drive police outpost. The sentence was delivered in less than a year of the incident, which took place on April 22 last year.

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