A special POCSO court in Mumbai has sentenced a 19-year-old man to two years of rigorous imprisonment for inappropriately approaching a 14-year-old girl and saying “I love you” to her.
Judge Ashwini Lokhande ruled that the accused’s actions constituted a clear affront to the modesty of the minor. The verdict, issued on July 30, found the man guilty of harassment under the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
The incident, which occurred in September 2019, was reported by the girl’s mother at the Sakinaka police station. The mother described how her daughter returned home upset after a man at a local shop had grabbed her hand and made the unwelcome advance. During the trial, the prosecution presented testimonies from four witnesses, including the victim and her mother.
The accused maintained his innocence, claiming a relationship with the girl and asserting that she had called him to meet her. However, the court noted that if there had been a relationship, the girl would not have reported the incident out of fear. Additionally, when confronted by the girl’s mother, the accused threatened her and told her to handle the situation as she saw fit.
The court found the testimonies of the girl and her mother to be credible and consistent, with no evidence contradicting their accounts. Judge Lokhande concluded, “It is established that the accused applied criminal force to the victim by holding her hand while she was on her way to buy tea dust. The words spoken by the accused clearly outraged the modesty of the 14-year-old victim.”
