MUMBAI: A special Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act court at Dindoshi on Wednesday convicted and sentenced a 35-year-old carpenter to five years’ rigorous imprisonment for sexually assaulting a 11-year-old girl in the elevator of her highrise. She was on her way to drop her brother for tuitions in 2015 when the incident took place.
The accused had claimed that the child’s mother had falsely implicated him as she was fed up of the noise of the carpentry work which was on in her neighbour’s house. The court said that if this was the case then the mother would have complained to the house owner. “She (mother) could have asked the owner to stop the work, but how would it be possible that if she got enraged against the noise of work, she would directly lodge false report against one of those workers…” the court said. The court also fined the accused Rs 30,000.
“If the fine amount is deposited, out of it, Rs 20,000 will be paid as compensation to the victim girl towards the mental shock and injury,” the court said.
The accused was in jail since 2015 and was out on bail only last year. The accused while seeking leniency told the court that his marriage had ended due to his arrest, hence, if he is sentenced beyond the period he had already spent in jail, it would adversely affect his future.
(The victim’s identity has not been revealed to protect her privacy as per Supreme court directives on cases related to sexual assault)
Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/mumbai-man-gets-five-year-rigorous-imprisonment-for-sexually-assaulting-girl-in-building-elevator/articleshow/80058354.cms
