A local court today sentenced a 22-year-old youth to three years rigorous imprisonment for raping a teenager in 2011.
The District and Sessions Judge H M Patwardhan convicted the accused Nikhil Bhoir, of Jugaon, in Navi Mumbai under section 376 (rape) and 420 (cheating) of IPC.
Additional Public Prosecutor S H Khapre-Goswami told the court that Bhoir and the victim, who was then aged 15, were studying in the same school.
They developed friendship and it was in September 2011, that Bhoir invited the victim to his house and raped her when no one present in the house, Goswami said.
The victim was again raped by the accused at a friend's place later, the prosecutor said.
In the initial days, when they developed friendship, Bhoir expressed his intention to marry the victim once she turns 18. However, it was in January 2012, the accused asked the victim, when she was 16, to get 'sindoor' and 'mangalsutra' to solemnise the marriage, but later started avoiding her, the PP added.
Subsequently when the victim traced Bhoir in the next month, he smeared 'sindoor on her head and "declared" that they are married, the court was told.
However, there was no official marriage registered as the girl was not 18, the PP said.
The court was also told that later Bhoir's family members gave an assurance in writing that they would get them married but when Bhoir did not keep his word, the victim registered the case, Goswami said.
