5 years later, fruit vendor gets 10-year jail term for sexually assaulting minor

As per the prosecution case, on April 20, 2018, when the child was playing on a ground outside her house, the 49-year-old man - father of her friend - took her towards a tunnel behind some parked vehicles, and began touching her inappropriately, and later sexually assaulted her

A special POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act) court has sentenced a fruit vendor from Mankhurd to 10 years’ imprisonment for sexually assaulting a nine-year-old girl in 2018.

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As per the prosecution case, on April 20, 2018, when the child was playing on a ground outside her house, the 49-year-old man - father of her friend - took her towards a tunnel behind some parked vehicles, and began touching her inappropriately, and later sexually assaulted her.

The next day, a neighbour took the girl to the market where the accused again touched her inappropriately in the presence of the neighbour. The girl, embarrassed by the incident, revealed everything to the neighbour who then informed her family about it.

The family reported the matter to the police and a case was registered against the accused on April 22, 2018. The accused was arrested on the same day.

Public prosecutor Veena Shelar examined eight witnesses against the fruit vendor and adduced evidence in terms of medical reports which showed that the girl was subjected to penetrative sexual assault.

The accused in his defence claimed that on the day of the incident he was not at the spot. In fact, he claimed that he had gone to a market in Navi Mumbai’s Sanpada to buy fruits between 8.30 am and 9 am. Later, he claimed that he along with his children went to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus to sell fruits. He showed entry and exit entry coupons and bills to support his claim.

He also got his daughter testified in is defence. In her deposition, his daughter claimed that there was a brawl between her and the victim’s uncle for which she went to lodge a complaint, but the police did not register a case as she was a minor. However, due to that brawl, the victim’s mother lodged a false complaint against her father.

During a hearing on Saturday, the special court refused to accept the fruit vendor’s theory. Besides, the court found that there was overwriting on the receipts and the documents produced by the accused to prove that he was not at the spot. Instead, the court accepted the medical record and testimony of the child and held the accused guilty of sexually assaulting the girl.