Man forcefully kisses 11-yr-old, gets 3 yrs in jail

A special POCSO court on Tuesday sentenced a 35-year-old man to three years rigorous imprisonment and imposed fine of ₹10,000 for forcibly kissing a 11-year-old

A special POCSO court on Tuesday sentenced a 35-year-old man to three years rigorous imprisonment and imposed fine of ₹10,000 for forcibly kissing a 11-year-old girl last year.

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On February 9, 2018, the girl and her twin sister were on their way back home from coaching classes, when the accused spotted them. He caught hold of the girl and kissed her without her consent. The girl fought back, while her sister raised an alarm. The convict was then nabbed by the police at the spot and placed under arrest.

During the trial, the convict’s counsel said that it was a case of mistaken identity and that his client had been falsely implicated in the case. The defence argued that when the incident took place, it was very dark and his identity has not been established.

The court, however, observed that the man had been identified by the girl as well as her sister. Further, the court observed that the accused had been caught from the spot. “The accused made unwelcome physical contact and advances [towards] the victim and the said acts show explicit sexual intention,” the court observed.

The convict later asked for leniency in punishment, but the court refused. “The victim girl, aged 11 years, was caught by the accused and he committed sexual assault. Hence, no leniency can be shown to him,” the court said.