POCSO Act Conviction
A Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act court in Gujarat’s Ahmedabad has convicted two men for trafficking two Bangladeshi girls into India on the pretext of jobs and forcing them into sex work.
Sagar Milan Mandal, the main accused, was sentenced to 20 years for repeatedly raping a 15-year-old girl. The co-accused, Mahammadfaruq alias Harun Mahammadkarim alias Abdulkarim Mandal, has been sentenced to 14 years of rigorous imprisonment for trafficking and exploiting two girls. Both were also convicted under the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, with all sentences to run concurrently.
Special Judge Nita Hareshbhai Vasvelia delivered the 70-page judgment in the case on July 31. A copy of the order was made available online on Tuesday.
The prosecution told the court that the convicts lured a Bangladeshi woman and her daughters, aged 15 and 17, with the promise of jobs and brought them illegally into India. The younger girl was repeatedly raped, and both sisters were forced into prostitution.
The court relied on the testimony of the two girls, their mother, police witnesses, medical evidence, school records, and birth certificates. Ossification tests showed that the sisters were minors and were trafficked and sexually exploited. The court directed payment of ₹4 lakh compensation to the younger and ₹75,000 to the elder girl under the Gujarat Victim Compensation Scheme.
{{/usCountry}}The court relied on the testimony of the two girls, their mother, police witnesses, medical evidence, school records, and birth certificates. Ossification tests showed that the sisters were minors and were trafficked and sexually exploited. The court directed payment of ₹4 lakh compensation to the younger and ₹75,000 to the elder girl under the Gujarat Victim Compensation Scheme.
{{/usCountry}}The case exposed an organised racket exploiting girls. The convicts, who are undocumented Bangladeshi immigrants, were key facilitators of illegal immigration and sex work. The investigation in the case led to the registration of six more first information reports, helping dismantle the network involved in trafficking, prostitution and illegal immigration. The case led to a wider crackdown on illegal immigration in Ahmedabad.