MAN GETS SIX YEARS IN JAIL FOR SEXUALLY ABUSING MINOR

MUMBAI: The special court under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act earlier this week convicted Babulal Gayadharm Malik alias Lambodhar, a 35-year-old waiter, for sexually abusing an 8-year-old girl during a wedding ceremony in December 2015. The accused has been sentenced to six years of rigorous imprisonment.

While convicting the accused, special judge SU Baghele observed, “The accused sexually assaulted a child, barely aged eight years and five months, at the time of the incident. He attacked her in the manner, a tiger would attack any animal or a cat would attack a rat. The accused dragged the child under a stage and thereafter, sexually assaulted her. Fortunately, the brother of the child could notice the same, which ultimately resulted into bringing the accused within the clutches of the law. Perhaps, otherwise, the accused would have fled.”

According to the case registered with Malad police station, Malik worked as a waiter at a banquet hall in Malad (West), which the child and her family went to on December 7, 2015, for a marriage ceremony. The prosecution said, around 1am, the child, her brother and some other children were playing near the stage when the accused caught hold of her and pulled her under the stage.

Meanwhile, the girl’s brother noticed it and alerted their mother. The accused was later handed over to the police and booked under the provisions of Pocso Act. Public prosecutor Usha Jadhav examined six witnesses, including the minor, her brother and relatives. Meanwhile, the accused denied the allegations and claimed he was falsely implicated by the family.

THE ACCUSED WORKED AS A WAITER AT A BANQUET HALL, WHICH THE CHILD AND HER FAMILY WENT TO FOR A MARRIAGE CEREMONY