Woman sentenced to 20 yrs jail by POCSO court for sexual assault of minor boy

According to the complaint, the boy’s father alleged that a woman had kept his son with her, took him to different places, and sexually exploited him against his will

The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) court in Rajasthan’s Udaipur has sentenced a woman to 20 years of imprisonment for sexually assaulting a minor boy.

This is the only case so far in Udaipur where a woman has been convicted and sentenced by the POCSO court. (Representative file photo)

This is the first such case in Udaipur where a female accused has been convicted under the POCSO Act.

Special public prosecutor Mahendra Ojha said the incident occurred in 2023 when the minor boy, then 17 years old, suddenly went missing from his home. His father lodged a missing person’s report at Pratap Nagar police station, following which police traced the boy and handed him back to his family.

According to the complaint, the boy’s father alleged that a woman had kept his son with her, took him to different places, and sexually exploited him against his will.

Ojha stated that during the trial, the court examined 28 exhibits, two articles, and the testimony of 15 witnesses. Based on this evidence, presiding officer Sanjay Bhandari found the accused guilty and sentenced her to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment along with a fine of ₹10,000.

“This is the only case so far in Udaipur where a woman has been convicted and sentenced by the POCSO Court,” Ojha added.