Mumbai, May 16 (Mid-Day): A sessions court yesterday convicted a 79-year-old man for raping and filming two minor sisters back in 2011. The accused had called the young girls — separately — to his Mulund office on the pretext of offering them work, and then raped them when nobody was around.

The accused was identified as Narsi Katira, a freelance photographer by profession.

Special Women’s Court Judge Vrushali Joshi sentenced him to 10 years’ imprisonment under Sections 376 (rape) and 292 (Sale, etc, or obscene books, etc.) of the Indian Penal Code and Rs 10,000 in fine. An additional fine of R50,000 was levied, of which Rs 25,000 would go to the two minors.

Public Prosecutor Nilima Kasture examined 16 witnesses in the case, including the two sisters.

The incidents

According to the younger sister’s statement to the police, Katira had met her when she had gone to eat bhel at the beach. After this meeting, Katira called up her father’s phone and used to ask her to come to his office. When the survivor went, she was told that she would have to paste stickers on cassettes and would be paid Rs 100-200 occasionally.

One day, Katira told the young girl that he had a video clip of her elder sister having sex with him. He threatened to upload the video on Facebook if she didn’t do as her sister had done. Afraid for her sister, the survivor complied and the man proceeded to rape her on several occasions. The survivor said she worked at the office for 6-7 months.

According to the younger survivor, a woman called Heena Sharma, who would teach both sisters drawing and dancing, was also present and Katira raped her several times. Yet, Sharma didn’t interfere.
The arrest

A social worker got to know of Katira’s deeds and took the police along to raid his office, where they found several CDs and DVDs. And FIR was registered on November 18, 2011.

It later emerged that Katira had met the elder sister back in 2008, while she was going home from school. The old man had asked her whether she would like to work for him. When the girl — then 15 — said she would have to ask her father, the man landed up at her house and secured permission from the father. After this, the girl joined his office and did the same work — affix stickers on cassettes.

In her statement to the police, the elder sister said Katira had forced himself on her and raped her when nobody was in office. He then gave her R40 and asked her to go home, threatening her with dire consequences if she told anyone. Thereafter, he would call her repeatedly to rape her and, once, recorded a video clip of the heinous act. It was this video that he used against the younger sister to get her to do his bidding.

Both sisters had not told each other — or anybody else — about what they were going through.

The dance teacher Sharma was booked for abetment to rape, but was acquitted.