Judge hands down 20-year sentence for child rape

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar

District and Sessions Judge S.K. Upadhyay has convicted and sentenced a 37-year-old man, Mayur Sonawane, to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment for raping a minor girl.

Sonawane, a married man with two children from Sarala Govardhan (Shrirampur), abducted the 14-year-old victim from Vaijapur on April 3, 2023, at 9 am. He then subjected the girl to repeated sexual assault. Police acted swiftly: The Virgaon Police Station registered a case, and Assistant Inspector Nisha Bansode investigated the matter, filing the charge sheet in court. District Public Prosecutor Krishna Gande argued the case before the court. After hearing both sides, the court punished Sonawane with a 20-year term and imposed a Rs 10,000 fine. The judge added that if Sonawane fails to pay the fine, he must serve an extra year of rigorous imprisonment. Constable S.B. Gaikwad oversaw the case as the liaison officer.