Chandigarh: 40-yr-old man jailed for sexually harassing teen
The victim was awarded a ₹50,000 compensation by the District Legal Services Authority, Chandigarh, under the Victim Compensation Scheme
Over two years after a 40-year-old man sexually harassed a 13-year-old girl outside her house in June 2022, a local fast-track court has sentenced him to one-year rigorous imprisonment.

The convict, Hari Shankar, a resident of Kishangarh village, Chandigarh, and originally hailing from Uttar Pradesh, was also fined ₹5,000 by fast-track special court judge Yashika.
As per case files, the minor girl, who was a student of Class 9 at that time, was at home on June 8, 2022, when she accidentally burnt her arm. She was sitting outside her house near the gate, nursing her arm, when the accused approached her.
Told 13-year-old he cannot live without her
He used to work in a factory near the child’s house, and asked the girl and her brother about the wound. He allegedly then told her that “he liked her and cannot live without her”.
Startled, the girl went inside her house and locked the door. The accused initially left and but came back to her house around 10 minutes later, following which she rushed to a neighbour’s house. When her mother returned home, she narrated the incident to her, and the police were alerted.
Police launched a probe after registering a case under Section 354-A (sexual harassment) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), and Section 12 (sexually harassing a child) of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act at the IT Park police station. The accused was subsequently arrested.
Got girl’s name tattooed on arm: Prosecution
During trial, the prosecution examined 13 witnesses. The prosecution claimed that the accused had got the minor girl’s name tattooed on his left arm.
The defence argued that there were contradictions in the statement given by the victim. They argued that the accused never touched the girl and the words “I like you” didn’t show sexual intent.
They also argued that the tattoo of the accused wasn’t properly legible, and it was in fact not the girl’s name but the accused’s vehicle number as he was a driver by profession.
Guilt proved beyond shadow of substantial doubt: Court
The court ruled that the prosecution succeeded in establishing the essential ingredients under Section 354-A of IPC and Section 12 of the POCSO Act beyond the shadow of any substantial doubt, and thus held the accused guilty under both offences.
Handing out one-year rigorous imprisonment to the convict, the court remarked, “The saplings of innocent years of childhood are undoubtedly required to be nurtured with love and affection, manuring the same with tremendous care, instilling a sense of security, safety in the minor child to enable them to blossom into a responsible citizen of society. In the present matter, the convict by his deplorable act has instilled fear and insecurity in the mind of the minor child. The deplorable act of convict is not an offence against the victim or her family, but against the entire society.”
The court, however, also observed that punishment prescribed under both the sections of the FIR was similar. As such, the convict was ordered to be sentenced under Section 12 of the POCSO Act only, as it was a special enactment pertaining to sexual offences against a child and there was no need to award sentence to him under Section 354-A of IPC.
The victim was awarded a ₹50,000 compensation by the District Legal Services Authority, Chandigarh, under the Victim Compensation Scheme.