2 weeks Ago
Surat: A 29-year-old man was sentenced to imprisonment until his last breath by a special court for the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences in Vapi on Monday for raping a three-year-old girl in Aug 2024 in Umargam, Valsad district. The court of special judge TV Ahuja convicted Gulam E Mustufa and fined him Rs 50,000. The court ordered that compensation of Rs 6 lakh be paid to the victim.
The father of the victim had helped the convict get a job when he came to Umargam from Jharkhand. The convict lived in the same building as the victim and had observed her for a few days before the crime. The convict's sister accused lived on the same floor as the minor and when he visited her home.
Mustufa played with the minor as his sister's family had good relations with the minor's family. The convict was raping the minor on Aug 27 when the girl's mother saw what was happening and shouted out, after which other residents from the chawl beat him up. He then fled the spot.
The family later lodged a complaint at Umargam police station. Police traced Mustufa on a train and nabbed him with the help of Maharashtra police at Palghar railway station when he was trying to escape to Jharkhand. After escaping from Umargam, the accused boarded a train from Sanjan railway station.
"The victim was given the option of identifying the convict from a photo or in person. She identified him in person," said Anil Tripathi, district govt pleader, Valsad. The investigation revealed that Mustufa was addicted to pornographic videos and watched child pornography.
Police filed a 470-page charge sheet. "Timely arrest and recovery of the clothes that the accused wore at the time of the crime helped make the case strong. The convict was identified by eyewitnesses as well," said B N Dave, the head of the SIT that probed the case.
The incident sparked protests among locals in Umargam after the information spread. A group of villagers gathered at the police station and shouted slogans for quick justice. The protest continued with women joining the following day, sparking a riot-like situation.
A number of shops and commercial establishments were kept closed due to the protest..
