Mumbai: A special POCSO court on Monday convicted and sentenced a 23-year-old youth to life imprisonment for raping his 17-year-old dance partner in 2013. The victim and the accused were students at a dance academy and used to participate in shows occasionally. The accused had called the victim to the academy on the pretext of a rehersal and raped her.
Special judge M. A. Baraliya convicted Tushar Bangera on Monday and sentenced him to life imprisonment. According to public prosecutor Sunil Gonsalves, in 2012 the victim had joined a dance academy in Kurla near Phoenix Mills that was far from her residence in Khar. The class timings were not fixed but were decided by their teacher and the classes used to be held for at least 3-4 hours daily.
The victim got acquainted with the accused Tushar, and they soon fell in love. The accused even proposed marriage.
After the victim learnt he was an alcoholic, she asked him to quit drinking but he refused. Being suspicious by nature, he would often beat her because of which she broke up with him. But she maintained her professional relations with him and would attend events with him.
On July 21, 2013, Tushar messaged her, saying that there was an event at a hotel in Santacruz and asked her to come to the academy for a rehearsal the next day.
He also told her that only one female dancer was required so she should come alone. According to the complaint, when she reached the academy there was nobody there except for the two of them. Tushar raped her at knife point.
Considering the evidence of victim, her medical report and the call data record of both, and the fact that the complainant identified the accused, the judge convicted him.
