Molestation case accused arrested and convicted within 48 hours

NAVI MUMBAI: A man was arrested and convicted within 48 hours for molesting a woman at Kanakeshwar Temple after he pleaded guilty in fast-track court.

NAVI MUMBAI: Within 48 hours of allegedly molesting a woman, a man was booked, arrested, and convicted by the fast-track court after he accepted the charges against him.

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According to the complaint, on March 11, a woman visiting the Kanakeshwar Temple was allegedly stopped and molested by Haresh Mahadev Patil, a labourer who resided in the Narangi village, Alibag taluka . The victim filed a complaint with the Mandwa Coastal Police, who registered a case against Patil under sections 74 (assaulting a woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 48 (2) (stalking), and 79 (word, gesture, or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.

“Following the arrest, the chargesheet was filed on March 12 and the culprit was presented before the court,” said an official investigating the matter. The case was investigated by police constable Chetan Mhatre, who gathered evidence and filed the chargesheet within 24 hours. Court liaison, police constable Aparna Magar, also played a key role in presenting the case.

The case was brought before a fast-track court where Patil accepted the charges against him and pleaded for minimal punishment. The Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC), Alibaug, verified the incident.

“Had the convict not pleaded guilty, the case would have gone for a trial, thereby taking several months or even years. Even the punishment would have been up to five years. By pleading guilty, the man was convicted for seven days and fined ₹1, 000,” the officer said.

Earlier this month, the Navi Mumbai Police had filed a chargesheet in a POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012) case within 18 hours after a 9-year-old was harassed by a shopkeeper at the APMC market.