Dy I-T chief is remanded to custody under POCSO Act
The special court designated to hear cases under Protection of Children from Sexual Offence Act (POCSO) on Thursday, remanded Deputy Commissioner of Income Tax, Virbhadran Vislawath to police custody till September 10 for raping, sexually assaulting and threatening to kill his 16-year-old maid.
The victim, a resident of Aligarh, was staying in Vilaswath’s house in Peddar road after her uncle requested her mother to send her and sister to Mumbai to take care of Vilaswath’s daughters and also that Vilaswath’s wife will educate them.
One day, Vilaswath in absence of his wife tried to get physical with the maid. He told her, “I am an officer, with a big post, I have a lot of money, a plot in Hyderabad where there are 100 servants, I will give you gold jewellery, fancy clothes and when you shall go to your village, I will give you Rs10,000. I will fulfil all your wishes.” And, simultaneously he threatened her with dire consequences. If she tells anyone, he will upload her bathing pictures on the internet, slit her throat and destroy her life.
In February 2017, once again when his wife was not home Vilaswath gave the victim a gold chain, asked her not tell about the ornament to his wife, and told her he will keep giving her jewellery. He then sends the victim’s sister to do some other household chores and sexually assaulted her, when she opposed and told him that she will tell about his inappropriate actions to his wife, Vilaswath strangled her neck with her dupatta, while verbally abusing he said, “I am a big officer, I have big reach and influence, I will kill you.” Hearing her cry Vilaswath’s wife came and scolded him for his act.
When the victim went back to Aligarh, Vilaswath sent an unknown person to her residence, who threatened her mother and asked her to send her back to Mumbai, when she denied, the unknown person said, “Virbhadran Vilaswath will eliminate your whole family.” Due to this, they got scared.
On May 26, 2018, the victim’s mother received a call from an unknown person, who said, “Vilaswath will give ‘supari’ and kill you all.”
The complaint, registered at the Gaon Devi police station on August 23, this year, Vilaswath was arrested and produced in court on Thursday. His counsel argued, “Vilaswath’s wife is falsifying this case, she wants to malign his reputation.”
Additional Sessions Judge MA Baraliya, considering the arguments from the defence and from the Special Public Prosecutor Mira Chaudhary, remanded Vilaswath and booked him, and sent him to jail for 20 years for committing rape on a woman under 16 years of age, (Section 376(3)) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Punishment for criminal intimidation (Section 506) of IPC, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault under 7 and 8 of POCSO Act.