75-year-old cab driver sentenced to 3 years jail for touching minor inappropriately

The accused inappropriately touched the eleven-year-old girl, who was the passenger in his taxi, while she was returning from school.

A seventy-five-year-old taxi driver was convicted by a Special Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) Court and sentenced to three years of imprisonment with a fine of ₹10,000 for touching a minor girl inappropriately, officials said.

The minor had to she jump out of the moving taxi to save herself (File photo)

The accused inappropriately touched the eleven-year-old girl, who was the passenger in his taxi, while she was returning from school.

The court, while pronouncing the order, said the driver’s act of inappropriate touching created fear in her mind and she jumped out of the moving taxi, hence it thinks no leniency should be shown towards such acts.

On September 6, 2016, the minor had taken a taxi after her classes in South Mumbai. The eleven-year-old sat in the rear seat, however, the taxi driver asked her to sit in front. After the minor sat in the front seat, the accused touched her inappropriately.

The minor got terrified and asked the driver to stop the vehicle, which he refused, after which she jumped from the cab. The girl had suffered injuries on her both knees and was later taken by her parents to a local doctor.

They had also registered a case in the matter against the taxi driver under section 354 of the Indian Penal Code and section 8 of the POCSO Act for punishment for sexual assault.

The counsel for the accused, Sachin Godase, told the court that the accused was identified via CCTV, however, it is not given on record to the court. “When the taxi was being driven at a speed of 30-40 km per hour, how could the minor girl jump just adjacent to the school? The owner of the taxi was not examined by the prosecution. He could have rented his taxi to the accused to drive as well as to many others,” Godase said.

However, Special Judge, Jayshri R Pulate, observed that the victim had properly identified the accused and there was no reason for the CCTV footage to be given on record. Special Public Prosecutor Sanjana Sharma submitted that the speed of the taxi was moderate. The act of running away from the spot by the taxi driver was the subsequent conduct of the accused and thus it can be inferred that he committed the act.