Mumbai: Five-year sentence upheld in child sex assault case

Observing that "incidents of sexual assault with adolescent girls are increasing day by day and needs to be dealt with strictly," the Bombay High Court on Tuesday upheld the five-year sentence imposed on a Sanskrit teacher for sexually assaulting a minor student.

Justice K K Sonawane while upholding the sentence imposed on Pandurang Jadhav said, "I find that the conclusion drawn by the trial court is just, proper and reasonable. The quantum of punishment imposed on the appellant-accused is also found to be reasonable and justifiable to meet the ends of justice."

As per the police, the accused had assaulted a 13-year-old girl back in 2013. The accused had allegedly touched her inappropriately on the pretext of helping her to improve her handwriting. She then confided in her mother about the incident who approached the school principal who in turn informed the police.

In his defence, the accused claimed that the prosecutrix attempted to embroil him by making false allegations as accused did not respond to the advances made by the student. The victim, however, denied his allegation.

The court, after considering the evidence on record, said, "This kind of defence propounded on behalf of accused appears to be a fallacious and preposterous one. It appears to rest on figment imagination. It is incomprehensible and unacceptable. It would be a stigma on the sacred bonding of teacher-student in an educational institution."

Accordingly, the court held that the prosecution had proved the case against the accused beyond reasonable doubt and upheld the conviction.

ACCUSED’S FALLACY

In his defence, the accused claimed that the prosecutrix attempted to embroil him by making false allegations as accused did not respond to the advances made by the student. The victim denied his allegation