Pune court gives 3-yr jail term to suspended judge for sexually abusing teen

Pune: A special court in Pune on Friday sentenced a 34-year-old suspended judge to three years' rigorous imprisonment (RI) for sexually abusing a 15-year-old girl at his residence in June 2014.

Special Sessions Judge Mangala Dhote found Nagraj Shinde guilty of offences punishable under section 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) of IPC and Section 8 of the Protection of Children from sexual Offences Act (POCSO).

Special Public Prosecutor Pratap Pardeshi said the court has also imposed fine of Rs 10,000 on Shinde.

Shinde was suspended in 2013 for misconduct when he was posted as the judicial magistrate (First Class) in Khandala court in Satara district.

According to prosecution, the victim girl used to live in the same housing society where Shinde lived and often used to visit his house to play carom.

The incident occurred in June 2014 when Shinde's wife had gone to her parents' house during her pregnancy, when Shinde lured the girl by promising gold rings and a mobile phone handset.

He assured her that he would enroll her into a good UPSC or MPSC coaching class and sexually assaulted her before threatening her with dire consequences if she discloses the matter.

Pardeshi said that CCTV footage in the society on the particular day in which the girl was seen entering Shinde's house, turned out to the crucial evidence in securing his conviction.

Pardeshi was appointed as special public prosecutor in the case six months ago. "We examined 11 witnesses in the case and made a watertight case against Shinde, who himself contended his side in the court," he said.

After an FIR was registered against him at Bharati Vidyapeeth police station, Shinde went underground before surrendering in court after his pre-arrest bail pleas were rejected by the Bombay High Court and the Supreme Court. Shinde was lodged in Yerawada Central Jail near Pune.