Mumbai: A 50-year-old BEST bus conductor was convicted and sentenced to one-year rigorous imprisonment on Thursday for sitting next to a 13-year-old passenger in 2018 and asking her “do you know about sex”.
The incident took place when the child was travelling by herself one afternoon in 2018 and there were few passengers in the bus. The minor deposed earlier this year and identified the accused, Chandrakant Koli. Among the witnesses cited by special public prosecutor Geeta Sharma to seek the accused’s conviction were the minor and a cop.
The court also fined the accused Rs 20,000. “Out of the fine, an amount of Rs 15,000 be given to the victim, as compensation, after the appeal period is over,” the court said. The court suspended the sentence for a month, giving the accused time to move Bombay high court against the judgement. The accused was held guilty under Pocso Act’s Section 12 for sexual harassment.
The maximum sentence is three years in jail. The minor in her deposition told the court she was a Class VIII student in 2018. She said on July 24, 2018, after attending her scholarship class, she boarded the bus around 1.45pm. She said the front seats of the bus were occupied so she went and sat at the back. The minor said when the accused came and asked her about the ticket she showed him her pass.
“After some time there were only two to three passengers in the bus and they were seated in the front. The accused came near me and sat beside me. He asked me whether I knew anything about sex,” the minor said. She further said she told him not to ask her such questions. The minor said the accused went to the front of the bus but later returned and asked her the same question.
Once again, she protested and got off when her stop arrived. The minor said she did not tell anyone at home as she was afraid. On July 26, 2018, she revealed the incident to her friend who in turn informed her mother. The mother then relayed the information to the minor’s mother on July 31, 2018, who later called the police.
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