Duo slapped with RI for raping minor

PUNE, Nov 12: Additional Sessions Judge S S Jahagirdar convicted Laxman Kendre, 18, and Umesh Jadhav, 21, and sentenced them to five years8217; rigorous imprisionment for raping a minor girl.

According to the case brief, the accused, residents of Pimpri, were living in the neighbourhood of the victim and knew her well. On the night of March 16, 1997, Jadhav called her outside her house and took her to the Pimpri Railway Station where he met Kendre. The two threatened to kill her if she did not accompany Kendre and forced her to go with him to his village near Solapur where Kendre8217;s maternal uncle used to stay.

Kendre locked her in a cattle shed in the field and repeatedly raped her over three days. When the girl8217;s mother lodged a missing complaint at the police station, the accused was tracked down to the village.

At the Pimpri police station the victim said that Jadhav had also raped her at his house earlier. The sentence was passed after the court checked the birth date record of the victim. Additional Public Prosecutor Sadanand Deshmukh appeared for the State.