Mumbai man sexually harasses woman, court quashes case after he agrees to mop children’s home

Mumbai city news: The bench said it took the man’s age and willingness to perform community service into consideration

The Bombay high court struck down criminal proceedings against a 20-year-old who was held for allegedly stalking and sexually harassing a woman, after he promised to clean, sweep and mop Padmavati Balkashram — a children’s home at Mohol in Solapur — every Sunday for the next three months.

The judges said continuing criminal proceedings would have hampered the accused’s career. (HT File Photo)

The bench said it took Dnyneshwar Pawar’s age and willingness to perform community service into consideration while granting him conditional relief.

The first information report (FIR) registered against Pawar will be struck down only after he produces a certificate issued by head of the children’s home, which states that he has satisfactorily performed the community service.A division bench of justices Ranjit More and Sarang Kotwal also ordered him to pay Rs10,000 to the Kirtikar Law library.

The judges said continuing criminal proceedings would have hampered Pawar’s career, especially as he and the woman had settled the matter amicably.

“Keeping the FIR alive has no purpose. It will only burden criminal courts, which are currently overburdened,” they added.

“Continuing the case will only amount to abuse of the court’s processes and it is thus necessary to quash the FIR to secure justice,” said the bench.