19-year-old jailed for holding minor's hand, saying 'I love you'
A 19-year-old Mumbai resident has been sentenced to two years of rigorous imprisonment by a special Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) Court. The court found him guilty of harassment under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for holding a minor girl's hand and expressing his love to her. The verdict was passed on July 30 by special POCSO judge Ashwini Lokhande.
Incident details and legal proceedings unveiled
The incident took place when a 14-year-old girl was on her way to a local shop. According to the complainant, the man accosted her on the first floor of the building, held her hand, and said, "I love you." The girl's mother then lodged a complaint at Sakinaka police station in September 2019, stating that her daughter returned home crying after the man accosted her. During the trial, four witnesses were examined by the prosecution to establish the accused's guilt.
Accused's defense rejected by court
The accused pleaded not guilty, claiming he was having an affair with the girl and she had invited him to meet on the day of the incident. However, Judge Lokhande dismissed this claim, noting that if there had been an affair, the girl would not have reported it to her mother out of fear. The judge also highlighted that when confronted by the girl's mother after the incident, the accused threatened her and told her to do whatever she wanted.
Court's verdict based on corroborated evidence
The court found that the evidence provided by both the girl and her mother corroborated each other. Judge Lokhande stated, "It is established that the accused applied criminal force to the victim by holding her hand while she was proceeding to bring tea dust. The words uttered by the accused certainly outraged the modesty of the victim who was 14 years old at the time of the incident."
