Mumbai: 65-year-old gets jail for molesting girl who gave him lift

Observing that incidents of molestation at public places have been alarmingly rising, a city magistrate court has sentenced a 65-year-old man to a year in prison for inappropriately touching a young girl riding a scooty after she gave him a lift on his request.

The court also imposed a Rs. 10,000 fine on Arun Agrawal for the emotional trauma the victim suffered. Agrawal’s advocate had sought leniency for him citing his age, health issues and had submitted that has not been convicted earlier. The advocate had sought that he not be sentenced, but released on a bond of good behaviour instead. The court refused this stating that the offence is committed against a young girl, therefore, it is a very serious offence and being intentionally committed, no lenient view is warranted.

Metropolitan Magistrate SAR Sayed said in the order that incidents of molestation at public places like bus stops, railway stations, crowded public roads, public mode of transports like sharing auto rickshaws, government buses and local trains have been alarmingly increasing. Hence, showing leniency would give wrong signal or message to like minded offenders.

It also noted that considering the background in which the incident occurred, it took a lot of courage for the complainant to take help of unknown people gathered at the spot. “Further, she mustered courage to step into the witness box and undergo the test of cross-examination…but she courageously deposed before the court,” the magistrate said.

Agrawal had taken the defence that he had mistaken the victim to be a boy when taking lift. During the trial, a man who had witnessed the incident from a building window had also testified as an eyewitness.

The incident had taken place Aug 2, 2019 around 9 am when the girl was going on her activa to work. She had stopped at DN Nagar metro signal when the man had approached her and asked which direction she was going in. He then requested her to drop him till Andheri market. He touched her inappropriately two times - the second time on her private parts. She stopped the two-wheeler and the man tried to flee. Public gathered at the spot and caught hold of him.