Watchman gets 7-year jail term for attempting to rape and murder woman | Mumbai news

Mumbai: A sessions court earlier this week sentenced a 25-year-old watchman to seven years of imprisonment for attempting to murder a woman after she resisted his rape attempt in April 2017. The convict, identified as Raja Chandradeep Sabu, had been employed as a security guard at the woman’s residential society in Andheri West just two days before the attack.

According to the prosecution, the incident took place on April 20, 2017, when the woman, who was at home with her mother, called the watchman to get his phone number for water supply inquiries. Sabu, who was intoxicated at the time, forcibly entered her house and sat beside her. When she resisted, he locked the main door from the inside and engaged in a scuffle with her. In an attempt to defend herself, the woman grabbed a knife, but the accused snatched it from her. He then allegedly tore her clothes and stabbed her twice in the abdomen.

As the assault was unfolding, the woman’s brother-in-law arrived at the flat and tried to restrain Sabu, but the accused managed to escape. The family raised an alarm, and with the help of other residents, he was caught and handed over to the police.

During the trial, the woman testified that she had taken the knife to scare the accused away. However, he overpowered her, tore her clothes, pulled her gold chain, and forcibly lay on her. The court noted that there was sufficient oral and documentary evidence to establish that the accused had inflicted grievous injuries on the victim with intent to kill her.

“There is sufficient evidence that the accused, with knowledge of his actions, stabbed the victim, causing injuries that justify charges under section 307 of the Indian Penal Code,” observed Additional Sessions Judge AA Kulkarni in his order dated February 17. The court also found him guilty of outraging the woman’s modesty, using criminal force, and assaulting her.

However, considering that the accused was 25 years old at the time of the offence, the court awarded him a reduced sentence of seven years, granting him an opportunity for reformation.