JUDGEMENT :

1. By the impugned Judgment and Order dated 13th January, 2016, the Appellant has been convicted under Section 376(2)(i) of the Indian Penal Code (for short, “the IPC”) and under Sections 4 and 10 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 (for short, “the POCSO Act”) and is sentenced to suffer maximum rigorous imprisonment for 10 years and to pay a total fine of Rs.15,000/-, in default of payment of fine to further suffer simple imprisonment of specified term, by the learned Special Judge, Solapur in Sessions Case No.202 of 2014.

2. Heard Ms. Sawant, learned Advocate appointed by the High Court Legal Services Committee, Mumbai to represent Appellant and Smt. Kaushik, learned APP for the State. Perused entire record.

3. The victim in the present crime was aged about 11 years on the date of lodgment of the crime and with a view to protect her identity and in consonance with the provisions of Section 228(A) of the IPC and Section 33(7) of the POCSO Act, the detailed narration of facts and other details disclosing her identity and/or identity of her mother are hereinafter avoided.

4. The prosecution case in nutshell is that, victim was 11 years of age on the