2 get 10 years in prison for sexually abusing 2 minors

MUMBAI : In two separate cases, the special courts which are trying offences under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, sentenced two men for 10 years imprisonment on Saturday for sexually abusing their minor neighbours.

In the first case, a special court convicted a Byculla resident for abusing a 5-year-old girl in his neighbourhood on December 25, 2013. The man, who was then 30, lured the minor with a chocolate, when she was playing outside. He then took her to a corner and sexually exploited her.

The girl narrated the ordeal to her parents after going home. When her parents confronted the accused, he admitted to the crime, and apologised to them. However, when in April 2014, he repeated the act, the girl’s parents approached Byculla police.

The accused has been convicted on the basis of the testimonies of the girl and other witnesses, said public prosecutor Rakesh Tiwari.

In the second case, a 26-yearold Govandi resident was convicted for abusing a 10-year-old boy from his neighbourhood in 2015. The accused took the minor to the railway tracks and sexually abused him. The next day, he gave the minor ₹10 to not reveal the incident. The boy’s mother found the money in his pocket and questioned him about it, following which he narrated the incident to her. The family then approached the Govandi police.

Public prosecutor Meera Chaudhary examined around 10 witnesses, including the minor, his family members, doctors and investigating officers. The court, on the basis of the minor’s testimony and other evidences, held the accused guilty.