Rajkot: A Junagadh sessions court has sentenced a man to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment for raping a woman with learning difficulties, ruling that the victim was incapable of giving legally valid consent.The conviction came three years after the crime, with a trial that examined extensive medical and forensic evidence. Additional sessions judge H G Damodra convicted Jagdish alias Jago Vaja under Section 376(2)(l) of the IPC and sentenced him to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment. The court also fined the convict Rs 50,000.According to the prosecution, the offence was perpetrated on Aug 5, 2023, when Vaja called the 40-year-old woman to his rented accommodation in Junagadh and sexually assaulted her. He was 31 years old at the time.The victim was later found bleeding by her sister and minor niece, after which a complaint was lodged at C Division police station. At trial, the prosecution examined 15 witnesses and produced 51 pieces of documentary evidence.“The court relied on the victim’s testimony, medical evidence and forensic material, including a bloodstained blanket recovered from Vaja’s quarters. The court noted that the victim had a mental disability and was incapable of giving legally valid consent,” district govt pleader N K Purohit said.The defence argued that the accused had been falsely implicated and contended that he and the survivor were acquainted. It also questioned whether the woman was mentally disabled.The court rejected these arguments, observing that the evidence presented by the prosecution established the case beyond reasonable doubt.
