In a significant ruling, a 19-year-old boy was sentenced to two years of rigorous imprisonment by a special POCSO court in Mumbai for holding the hand of a minor girl and expressing his love. The court, presided over by Judge Ashwini Lokhande, found that the boy’s actions had indeed compromised the dignity of the 14-year-old victim.
The incident, which took place five years ago, came to light when the girl’s mother lodged a complaint at Sakinaka police station in September 2019. According to the prosecution, the minor had gone to a nearby shop but returned home in tears. Upon inquiry, she revealed that a man had followed her to the first floor of the building, held her hand, and said “I love you.”
The accused maintained his innocence, claiming he had a love affair with the girl and that she had agreed to meet him on the day of the incident. Despite his defence, the court convicted him of molestation under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), though he was acquitted of charges under the stringent POCSO Act.
Judge Lokhande emphasised that if there had been a genuine affair, the victim would likely have kept the incident from her mother out of fear.
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