Pune IT Professional Handed 25-Year Sentence for Sexually Abusing Orphaned Niece
Hinjawadi, 11th April 2026: In a deeply disturbing case from Pune, a special court has sentenced a 41-year-old IT team leader to 25 years of rigorous imprisonment for the prolonged sexual assault of his 12-year-old niece. The young survivor had been living in Hinjawadi with the convict and his wife—her maternal aunt—after a tragic family history left her vulnerable; her mother was murdered by her father, who is currently serving time in prison.
The horrifying three-year period of abuse was finally exposed in May 2021 through the actions of the perpetrator’s own wife. Growing suspicious of her husband, she secretly set up her smartphone camera to record the room on May 10, 2021. After capturing the assault on video, she immediately took the child for a medical evaluation and filed a police complaint the following day, leading to the engineer’s immediate arrest.
Interestingly, while the aunt initially filed the complaint, she was declared a hostile witness during the trial after refusing to support the rape allegations. However, her admission to recording the video proved to be his undoing.
Special public prosecutor Arundhati Brahme built an airtight case relying on the undeniable video footage, comprehensive medical and DNA reports, and chemical analysis. The court heavily weighed the minor’s testimony, describing it as highly reliable and “confidence-inspiring.”
Delivering the verdict on April 8, Special Judge HM Bhosale convicted the tech professional under Sections 5(I)[n] and 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. These specific sections address aggravated penetrative sexual assault committed by family members or individuals in positions of trust, which carry a minimum 20-year sentence.
Refusing any leniency, Judge Bhosale condemned the convict for preying on a helpless child. The court described the recorded acts as “barbaric,” “heinous,” and deeply shocking to the conscience of society. The judge emphasized that the profound physical, emotional, and psychological trauma inflicted on the young girl had left immeasurable, lasting scars.
The court also addressed and ultimately dismissed gang-rape charges that the Hinjawadi police had initially filed. The police had added these charges because the complainant’s minor brother allegedly discovered the techie abusing the girl and subsequently exploited the situation to assault her himself on several occasions.
The judge clarified that a gang-rape charge requires a “common intention” between the perpetrators, which was absent in this scenario.
Consequently, the court ordered investigating officers to apprehend the absconding juvenile and pursue a separate prosecution against him through the Juvenile Justice Board or Children’s Court.
