Mumbai: A special POCSO court has sentenced a 27-year-old man to three months’ imprisonment for molesting a junior college student in a local train, observing that a woman travelling in a general compartment does not justify inappropriate touching by male passengers.
Accused Caught Red-Handed
The victim told the Andheri railway police that the accused had been following her and often touched her inappropriately while travelling between Vile Parle and Borivali.
When she confronted him and the behaviour continued, she sought her brother’s help. On January 4, 2019, her brother caught the accused red-handed on the train and handed him over to the Borivali railway police.
Court Rejects Defence Argument
The accused denied the allegations, claiming he was a law student in the same college and that the girl had misunderstood him. He also argued that since she had a first-class pass but travelled in a general compartment, her version was unreliable.
“No Justification for Inappropriate Touching”
Rejecting the defence, the court said the victim’s choice to travel with friends in a general coach does not discredit her testimony.
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“The fact that the compartment was not reserved for women does not justify a male passenger repeatedly touching a female passenger,” the court observed. It also noted that the accused failed to prove his claim of studying in the same college.
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