New Delhi: Youth gets jail for sexually harassing minor

A youth, who was held guilty by a Delhi court of sexually harassing a 13-year-old girl here, has been sentenced to one year and six months' imprisonment.

Additional Sessions Judge Rajneesh Kumar Gupta handed down the jail term to Bihar native Ram Pravesh for the period already undergone by him for the offence of sexual harassment under section 12 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

The court, while also convicting him for the offence under section 451 (house-trespass) of the IPC, imposed a fine of Rs 1,000 on him.

"The prosecution has proved its case beyond reasonable doubt against Ram that he has committed house-trespass and has committed sexual harassment with the girl. Accordingly, the accused is convicted," the court said while relying on the testimony of the girl and her parents.

"The convict is sentenced to imprisonment for the period already undergone by him for the offences punishable under section 451 of IPC and section 12 of POCSO Act," it said. According to the prosecution, on the night of April 22, 2013, when the girl was sleeping with her parents in a labourers' tent at Jail Road near Tihar Jail here, Ram entered and sexually harassed her.

When the victim raised an alarm, her parents woke up and caught Ram who was then handed over to the police. During the trial, Ram had pleaded innocence and sought leniency from the court on the ground that he was young and the sole bread-earner for his aged parents.