A special POCSO court sentenced a 45-year-old man to five years imprisonment for sexually assaulting a three-year-old girl in January 2020. He was pronounced guilty following the victim's testimony in the court. She expressly denied that she was tutored by her parents to counter the defence's indication towards the same.
According to the prosecution, the incident took place on January 24 four years ago. At around 6pm, the victim was playing outside her home along with her two siblings. The accused, who resided in the same locality, approached them and took the girl to his house. Upon returning home, the minor started crying out of pain when she went to urinate. When asked, the victim narrated to her mother that the accused took her to his home, undressed her and sexually assaulted her.
Immediately, the woman rushed to the house of the accused, but he was not there while his wife denied the allegations. The victim confirmed that the wife was not present in the home when the crime took place. The family registered a case at the Dharavi police station on the same day and the accused was arrested on January 26, 2020.
During the trial, the victim's testimony was recorded and she even identified the accused in the court. The girl said that before taking her home, the man bought her chocolate. She then described his abhorrent act. Contending her allegations, the defence said that there is improvement in the girl's narration as compared to her statement.
Rejecting the argument, the court said, “The victim has specifically stated that the accused gave chocolate to her. Considering the fact that she was five-year-old at the time of recording her evidence, she is not expected to state all the facts like the accused taking her to a chocolate shop, connected to the incident.”
The accused also alleged that the victim's mother had filed a false case following the instigation of a neighbour woman with whom he quarreled and she was jailed for the same. The girl's mother demanded Rs50,000 from his wife, said the man. The court didn't accept the claim, noting that the accused is not even able to tell the woman's name with whom he had quarreled.
