Vadodara: A music cassette shop owner was sent to one-year imprisonment by the special Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses Act (POCSO) and additional sessions court, for sexual harassment of a class IX girl who lived near his house.
Convict Kishore alias Chiku Ahuja used to pass obscene comments and make gestures at the girl whenever she return home from school or tuition classes. Ahuja’s shop was on the same road where the gir lived. On August 31, 2015, when the girl was going to her father’s workshop from her tuition class, Ahuja passed comments and made gestures at her. Later, the girl complained to her father about it.
In the same evening, when Ahuja was loitering around her father’s workshop in Fatehpura, the latter and other locals nabbed him. They called the police and handed him over.
A case of molestation was registered against Ahuja at City police station. The girl’s statement was recorded before a magistrate under section 164 of criminal procedure code and police filed a chargesheet against him.
During the trial, additional public prosecutor N U Makwana argued before the court that Ahuja’s act of sexual harassment of a 14-year-old cannot be taken lightly and he should be given maximum punishment as prescribed by the law.
Pronouncing Ahuja guilty, the court observed that an act of sexual harassment leaves a deep imprint on the psychology of children. Besides the imprisonment, the court also slapped a fine of Rs 2,500 on Ahuja.