23-year-old businessman gets 3-year jail term for molesting teen girl in 2017

The incident occurred in June 2017 when the girl was returning from a public toilet and the accused touched her inappropriately.

Mumbai: A special POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act) court on Friday sentenced a 28-year-old businessman to three years imprisonment for molesting a 13-year-old girl in June 2017 in Antop Hill.

The girl’s father reported the incident to the police and based on his complaint an offence was registered against the accused. (File)

According to the case registered with the Antop Hill police station, on the evening of June 26, 2017, the girl was coming back from a public toilet when the accused, who resided in the same area, caught her hand and touched her inappropriately. The girl returned home crying and narrated the incident to her mother, who later informed her father.

The girl’s father reported the incident to the police and based on his complaint an offence was registered against the accused. The father of the girl claimed that soon after his daughter narrated the incident to her mother, he went to confront the accused but could not find him. Hence, on the next day, he filed the complaint. The businessman was arrested on July 6, 2017, and was granted bail on July 20, 2017.

During the trial, the accused claimed that a false case was registered against him at the instance of the complainant’s cousin, who he claimed was his rival in business. The accused also pleaded that according to the prosecution, a few persons were present at the spot at the alleged time of the incident, but the prosecution failed to examine any of those independent witnesses in support of its case.

The court discarded the defence and accepted the prosecution version of the case, observing that it did not doubt the credibility of the girl’s evidence and therefore, her sole testimony was sufficient to prove the charge against the accused and independent corroboration was not necessary.

“According to the accused, there was a dispute between him and the girl’s cousin’s brother which is not admitted by the girl. If at all there is any such dispute, then also the girl’s cousin’s brother would have filed a complaint against the accused. The girl’s father would not have dragged his minor daughter in criminal litigation due to the quarrel between the accused and his nephew,” said the court while discarding the defence as improbable.