Mumbai: A special Pocso court on Tuesday convicted and sentenced a 40-year-old driver to 20 years’ rigorous imprisonment for sexually assaulting his 16-year-old sister-in-law in 2021.The court held that the husband of the girl’s sister abused his position of trust to commit the crime. The incident occurred while the teenager was staying at his residence to assist her sister during a recovery period following surgery. The girl deposed that the accused committed the assault while she was alone at home and coerced her into silence through threats.The ordeal came to light when she disclosed the abuse to her sister as the family prepared to depart for a hospital visit. The matter was subsequently reported to the police.Special judge R J Pawar stated, “The accused is the victim’s sister’s husband and by committing such a heinous crime, he has brought disgrace to the pure relationship.” Addressing the sentencing, the judge noted that while the trauma of the victim is paramount, the law requires a balance between the “crime” and the “criminal.”
