JUDGMENT :

M.S. SONAK, J.

1. Heard Mr. Vibhav Amonkar for the Appellant and Mr. Sagar Dhargalkar, learned Additional Public Prosecutor for the State.

2. This Appeal challenges the Judgment and Order dated 6th September 2018, made by the Children's Court for the State of Goa in Special Case No. 36/2017, convicting the Appellant-Accused for offence under Sections 375, punishable under Section 376(2)(i) and (n) of the IPC, under Section 2(y)(i), punishable under Section 8(2) of the Goa Children's Act, 2003 and the offence under Section 5(l), punishable under Section 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 and sentencing him to undergo rigorous imprisonment for a term of 10 years and a fine of Rs. 2,00,000/- and in default, to undergo simple imprisonment for two years.

3. The case of the Prosecution is that about 3-4 months before 31.3.2017, at Cuinamol, Kaly, Sanguem, Goa in the kitchen of his rented premises, the Accused committed rape/grave sexual assault/aggravated penetrative sexual assault on the minor victim girl, aged around 13 years, more than once.

4. The Children's Court framed necessary charges against the Accused, which charge the Accused denied. The Pros