Crime: Dancer gets life in jail for raping female, videotaping act

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A 28-year-old dancer was sentenced to life imprisonment by a POSCO court in Mumbai for raping a female friend, who was a minor at the time of the incident. The accused, identified as Tushar Bangera had committed the crime in 2013.

According to special public prosecutor, Geeta Naval, the girl knew the accused Bangera as both were stage dancers. Tushar Bangera held a grudge against the survivor for rejecting his proposal and ever since, he had been waiting for the right moment to extract revenge.

On the day of the incident in 2013, the accused asked the survivor to reach the dance academy, located at Phoenix Mall, near Kurla on the pretext of dance rehearsals. When she reached the venue, she realised that no one else was present except Tushar. The accused then raped and physically abused the victim at knife-point. He even shot a video of the heinous act in order to blackmail the victim.

Later, when the survivor narrated the entire incident to her parents, they approached the Sakinaka police station and registered an FIR against Bangera. Police also sent the victim for medical observation at a hospital where the reports turned out to be positive.

Bangera was convicted under sections 376, 506, 323 of Indian Penal Code and 4 and 14 of POCSO Act. On Monday, the POSCO court pronounced the judgment in the case and rewarded him life imprisonment under section 376 of IPC as well as a fine of Rs 25 thousand, under section 506 of IPC two years imprisonment with a fine of Rs 5 thousand, under section 323 of IPC a one year imprisonment with fine of Rs 10 thousand and under section 14 of POCSO 5 years imprisonment with a fine of Rs 15 thousand.

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