Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The District and Sessions Court, Bhopal, convicted a private play school director under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act on Tuesday. The court sentenced him to 20 years of imprisonment and imposed a fine of ₹5 lakh. Additional District Judge (ADJ) Kumudini Patel passed the order. The case was registered in March 2017 at a play school in Kolar.
Special Public Prosecutor Harish Mehta said, “Today, the Bhopal court convicted the private play school director, sentencing him to 20 years of imprisonment with a ₹5 lakh fine. He was sent to jail immediately after the order.”
The director of a play school was arrested for sexually assaulting a 3-year-old girl at Giridhar Colony under Kolar police station area in February 2017. The accused manager Anup Pratap Singh sexually assaulted the three year old victim who is student of pre-nursery in his play school.
The family members came to know about the incident after the victim fell ill. When she was taken to the hospital, the doctor informed the parents that she had been sexually assaulted.
Upon being questioned, the victim revealed that the manager, Anup Pratap Singh, had molested her. When asked about the accused, she pointed towards Singh, following which a medical examination was conducted.
Initially, the victim’s parents approached Kolar police, but their complaint was not lodged. They later approached senior police officials, after which Kolar police registered a case against the accused. The police filed a case under Section 376 of the IPC and relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012, and initiated further investigation.
