Mumbai: POCSO convict let off early due to ‘satisfactory conduct’

Mumbai: The Bombay High Court recently upheld the conviction of a man accused of sexual offence against a minor boy in 2014, but the court has reduced the sentence to the time he has already undergone saying that his conduct in jail was “satisfactory”.

Justice Sarang Kotwal upheld the conviction of former cop-turned-politician at Wadala but reduced the sentence observing, “His conduct in the jail is satisfactory. Therefore, I am inclined to reduce the substantive sentence imposed on him to the period that he has already undergone.”
The HC was hearing an appeal filed by the man claiming that he was falsely implicated in the case, and was only framed due to political reasons.

The special court, on April 12, 2008, convicted the man and sentenced him to 10 years in prison.
According to the prosecution, the victim was around 17 years of age at the time of the incident on May 7, 2014.

On the day of the incident, left his house at midnight after a quarrel with his brother.

On the way to his father’s place, he met the accused. The accused offered him a lift. The accused took the victim to a secluded spot and committed the offence at knifepoint. The boy told his parents about the incident and the case was registered, said additional public pleader MR Tidke.

Adv Ashish Satpute for the accused argued that the boy was with him that night but denied the allegations.