Stating that whosoever causes harm to children will have to face the wrath of criminal justice, a fast-track POCSO court has awarded 20-year rigorous imprisonment to a 36-year-old man for sodomising a nine-year-old boy in 2021.
”The accused showed his wicked and evil mind by subjecting a child of tender age of 10 years to penetrative sexual assault and sexually abused the child for the entire night. He is liable to be punished sternly,” said the court of additional district judge Swati Sehgal while also imposing a fine of ₹55,000 on the convict, Narinder Awasthi.
The court held it was high time that such incidents be curbed to serve as a deterrent for people of evil and criminal bent of mind, and also instil a sense of security in the mind of children and their families.
As per case files, the boy was at a local wedding in anticipation of grabbing currency notes thrown by guests, when Narinder kidnapped him and took him to his house, where he sexually assaulted him the entire night. After finding him missing the next morning, the boy’s mother went out to look for him and heard him screaming at Narinder’s house. She raised the alarm and the accused was eventually arrested.
In court, the convict prayed for leniency, stating that he was the only breadwinner of his family, and there was no one to look after his old parents and sisters, whereas the special public prosecutor argued that the convict be dealt with sternly.
{{/usCountry}}In court, the convict prayed for leniency, stating that he was the only breadwinner of his family, and there was no one to look after his old parents and sisters, whereas the special public prosecutor argued that the convict be dealt with sternly.
{{/usCountry}}The court observed, “Children belonging to any strata of society are certainly the future of the country and they are not only to be groomed and nourished but also required to be protected for the sake of the bright future of our country. When children are subjected to sexual assault, it not only creates fear and trauma in the mind of the victim child but also among the children around him/her.”
“Children....have every right to bloom into a flower. Whosoever will make an attempt to pluck or cause any harm to them shall have to face the wrath of criminal justice,” said the court, while handing out 20-year rigorous imprisonment to the convict.
Tutor convicted of sexually harassing Class-10 girl
A fast-track POCSO court has convicted a tutor of sexually harassing a Class-10 student who was taking tuitions from him.
The girl had complained that in August 2021, she was alone at the tuition when her teacher, Anuj Kumar, held her hand and kissed her.
A case was subsequently registered under Sections 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) and 354-A (sexual harassment) of the Indian Penal Code and Section 8 (sexual assault) of the POCSO Act.