Mumbai: Sports teacher convicted under POCSO, gets 5-yr-jail

A 52-year-old sports teacher was on Thursday sentenced by a special court designated under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act to five years of rigorous imprisonment. The court refused leniency to him and said that he had committed sexual assault on victim's, which has naturally caused a long-term impact on their minds.

As per the case lodged at Tilak Nagar police station by the mother of one of the two students, there was a Marathon competition at Gandhi Maidan in Chembur on Oct 4, 2016. Both boys, minors, were to participate in it, but the event had got cancelled. A few days later, on Oct 24, he complainant had received a call from the teacher that the boys be sent to Gandhi Maidan the next day to receive medals. The boys had gone and the teacher had taken them to his house where he had sexually assaulted them while showing magic tricks.

The assault was however proved under the POCSO Act in court only against one of the minors who was 13 at the time of the incident. The age of the other child could not be proved to be below 18 yrs before the court.

The teacher had sought leniency claiming that he is a diabetic, has a son studying in Class 12 and a daughter of marriageable age.

The court said that nowadays there are maximum cases in respect of children who have been sexually abused. The POCSO Act, it stated, has taken initiative to protect children from sexual offences. Considering the legislative intent, it said the accused does not deserve leniency.