Bangladeshi Man Sentenced to 8 Years for Rape in Maharashtra; Wife and Accomplice Jailed for Illegal Stay

Prosecution stated that the man was accused of raping two minors who had been trafficked from Bangladesh. (Representational)

Thane:

A sessions court in Maharashtra's Thane district has sentenced a Bangladeshi national to eight years of imprisonment after finding him guilty in a rape case.

According to the order issued on October 24, which was made available on Friday, Additional Sessions Judge Parag A Sane of Belapur also sentenced the man's wife and another individual to 5-year prison terms for illegally residing in India.

All three convicted persons will be deported to Bangladesh once they complete their respective sentences.

The prosecution reported that Joshim Sobur Mulla (26) was charged with raping two minor girls who had been trafficked from Bangladesh. Police rescued the survivors in 2017 following information provided by an NGO.

While the court found Joshim guilty of rape under the Indian Penal Code, it did not convict him under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act as the prosecution failed to establish the age of the two female survivors.

The court dismissed charges of human trafficking and procuring girls for illicit intercourse against Joshim, his wife Murshida, and Jana Rabul Mulla.

In addition to Joshim's rape conviction, the court determined that Murshida and Jana had violated the Passport and Foreigners Acts, resulting in their 5-year imprisonment sentences.

Special Public Prosecutor Yogendra Patil noted that 12 prosecution witnesses provided testimony during the trial.

Five additional individuals, who were accused of involvement in a prostitution network that exploited the two Bangladeshi survivors, were acquitted of all charges, including kidnapping, trafficking, and offenses registered under POCSO.

The judge determined that the evidence against these co-accused was "very weak in nature" and "not reliable".