Two get 20-year jail for raping woman in Mumbai

Nearly a year-and-a-half after the crime, the sessions court judge found the accused guilty and sentenced them to 20-year jail. (Representational image)

A city sessions court convicted two men for raping a 27-year-old woman, who had jumped from the fifth floor of a building at Pydhonie to protect herself. Nearly a year-and-a-half after the incident, the sessions court judge found Santosh Kanojia and Farooq Khan guilty of the crime and sentenced them to 20-year jail term.

Senior Inspector of Pydhonie police station, Avinash Kanade, said: “The court appreciated the version given by the 27-year-old woman, who survived the fall and formed the crux of the prosecution evidence in the case. Apart from that, the investigating officer of the case, Inspector Ragini Bhagwat, also recorded statements of several building residents, who had heard the girl shout and jump from the fifth floor. Based on this, the court found the duo guilty earlier this week and sentenced them to prison for 20 years.”

The incident had taken place on March 16 last year, when the 27-year-old woman, a UP resident, had come to the city to earn a living. She had divorced her husband. In the city, she met Kanojia, who also hailed from UP and worked in Bhiwandi. He told the victim that he could arrange for a job and accommodation for her at Bhiwandi. A few days later, Kanojia took her to his friend Khan’s residence at Bhiwandi, where they raped her.