E-Paper
Panchkula man to spend 3 years in jail for stalking woman
Resident of Panchkula’s Sector 15 found guilty of stalking, molestation and wrongful restraint; also fined ₹2,500; had prayed for leniency
Two years after a Panchkula resident was arrested for stalking a woman whenever she headed out for work daily in 2021, a local court has sentenced him to three years in jail.
The court also imposed a fine of ₹2,500 on the convict, Faraz Khan, of Sector 15, Panchkula.
He was held guilty under Sections 354-D (stalking), 509 (outraging modesty of woman) and 341 (wrongful restraint) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
“As more women are choosing to step out of the house and join workforce, they ought to be provided a safe environment where they can thrive. The incidents of stalking not only discourage the women to join the mainstream society but also make public spaces unsafe. Cases of such nature have been on a continuous rise in the society and must be dealt with strictly so as to send out a strong message and deter others from committing such acts,” said the court, while convicting Faraz.
Faraz was arrested on July 1, 2021, on the complaint of a resident Sonepat, Haryana, who was living in Sector 15 at a paying guest accommodation.
The woman had told the police that she worked as a senior consultant for a private company. She alleged that whenever she would leave home to go to work, she would come across a drunk man, who would pass obscene comments and make vulgar gestures at her.
On June 30, 2021, he even used foul language against her, following which she lodged a complaint with the Sector 14 police station.
A case under Sections 354-C (voyeurism), 354-D and 509 of the IPC was registered on the woman’s complaint. But during trial, Section 354-C was removed, and Sections 341 and 506 (criminal intimidation) of IPC were invoked.
The accused was arrested on July 1, 2021 ,and granted bail.
In court, Faraz sought leniency, citing that his father was bedridden for the past two years, and he had the responsibility to provide for his two younger sisters and one younger brother.
Awarding three-year sentence to the convict, the court said, “The acts and conduct of the convict are highly deplorable. He was habitual of stopping the complainant whenever she would go to office or return from it. The convict would utter obscene words at her and would also make obscene gestures at her.”
