A 49-year-old Navi Mumbai resident was convicted under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act for molesting a minor girl and sentenced to 10 years in jail by a court in Thane.
District and sessions judge SB Bahalkar, in a recent order, convicted Ashok Namdeo Ghodekar, a resident of Turbhe, and fined him ₹10,000, which will be handed over to the 12-year-old survivor as compensation.
“On May 27, 2016, Ghodekar, took the girl, who lives in the neighbourhood, to his house and molested her. She later told her mother, who filed a police complaint,” said additional public prosecutor Varsha Chandane.
Ghodekar was convicted under section 354B (assault or use of criminal force to woman with intent to disrobe) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and under sections related to aggravated sexual assault of the Pocso Act, Chandane said.