Mumbai: A now 37-year-old man was recently convicted and sentenced to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment (RI) by a special court for the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) for repeatedly sexually assaulting a boy over a four-year period, beginning when the victim was 13 years old. The abuse came to light in 2020 when the victim’s mother discovered incriminating messages on her son’s phone. These messages revealed the accused invited the victim to his home while no one else was present. The victim subsequently disclosed the years of sexual abuse.
Sentencing the accused, Special Judge Priya B Bankar said, “The accused is 37 years old and was having sufficient maturity at the time of the incident. Despite that, he involved himself in such an offence with the minor victim boy, while he was 13 years old. The incident will leave a scar in the mind of the victim for a long period and he may not be in a position to live a normal life. He will remain under stress and pressure. The incident also involves moral turpitude.”
The accused was also fined Rs 20,000. “Out of the fine amount, if paid by the accused, an amount of Rs 20,000 be paid to the victim as compensation,” the judge said. The accused has been in jail since his arrest in Oct 2020. The time spent in jail as an undertrial will be set off against the sentence.
Among the witnesses examined by special pblic posecutor Veena Shelar were the victim and his mother. The judge said there was no reason to disbelieve their oral evidence. “The accused was a neighbour of the minor victim boy and was in contact with the victim. Looking at the age of the accused, there was no reason for him to contact the minor victim. The accused has not brought on record any evidence to rebut the presumption. Therefore, I came to the conclusion that the prosecution has proved that the accused committed repeated sexual assault with the minor victim boy, below 17 years old,” the judge said.
The victim deposed that the first sexual assault occurred during his eighth grade. On October 4, 2020, the victim received a message from the accused, which his mother saw. Upon questioning, the victim disclosed that while in the eighth grade, the accused lured him to his house under the pretence of playing a mobile game. Instead, the accused showed him pornography and began to sexually assault him. The victim cried, but the accused continued the assault. The accused threatened the victim not to tell anyone and sent him home. Subsequently, the accused repeatedly called the victim to his house, showed him pornography, and sexually assaulted him.
Mumbai: A now 37-year-old man was recently convicted and sentenced to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment (RI) by a special court for the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) for repeatedly sexually assaulting a boy over a four-year period, beginning when the victim was 13 years old. The abuse came to light in 2020 when the victim’s mother discovered incriminating messages on her son’s phone. These messages revealed the accused invited the victim to his home while no one else was present. The victim subsequently disclosed the years of sexual abuse.
Sentencing the accused, Special Judge Priya B Bankar said, “The accused is 37 years old and was having sufficient maturity at the time of the incident. Despite that, he involved himself in such an offence with the minor victim boy, while he was 13 years old. The incident will leave a scar in the mind of the victim for a long period and he may not be in a position to live a normal life. He will remain under stress and pressure. The incident also involves moral turpitude.”
The accused was also fined Rs 20,000. “Out of the fine amount, if paid by the accused, an amount of Rs 20,000 be paid to the victim as compensation,” the judge said. The accused has been in jail since his arrest in Oct 2020. The time spent in jail as an undertrial will be set off against the sentence.
Among the witnesses examined by special pblic posecutor Veena Shelar were the victim and his mother. The judge said there was no reason to disbelieve their oral evidence. “The accused was a neighbour of the minor victim boy and was in contact with the victim. Looking at the age of the accused, there was no reason for him to contact the minor victim. The accused has not brought on record any evidence to rebut the presumption. Therefore, I came to the conclusion that the prosecution has proved that the accused committed repeated sexual assault with the minor victim boy, below 17 years old,” the judge said.
The victim deposed that the first sexual assault occurred during his eighth grade. On October 4, 2020, the victim received a message from the accused, which his mother saw. Upon questioning, the victim disclosed that while in the eighth grade, the accused lured him to his house under the pretence of playing a mobile game. Instead, the accused showed him pornography and began to sexually assault him. The victim cried, but the accused continued the assault. The accused threatened the victim not to tell anyone and sent him home. Subsequently, the accused repeatedly called the victim to his house, showed him pornography, and sexually assaulted him.