BELAGAVI: The Special Fast-Track POCSO Court in Belagavi has sentenced a 30-year-old man to five years of rigorous imprisonment and imposed a hefty fine for sexually harassing a minor girl belonging to the Scheduled Caste community.
The convicted individual, Vinayak Kallagouda Patil (30), resident of Nerali, Hukkeri taluk, Belagavi district, was tried under various sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, the Indian Penal Code (IPC), and the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
The case (Crime No. 244/2023), originally registered at the Sankeshwar Police Station, detailed a harrowing ordeal for the victim.
According to the prosecution, on November 6, 2023, Patil sexually harassed the minor girl. The charges stated that the accused coerced her into disrobing over a video call and captured obscene pictures, threatening to kill her if she refused.
The investigation, conducted by Dy SP D H Mulla of the Gokak subdivision, built a strong evidentiary case. The court, presided over by Judge C M Pushpalatha, found the charges proven beyond reasonable doubt based on the testimony of eight witnesses, 47 documented pieces of evidence, and material objects.
Delivering the verdict, Judge Pushpalatha sentenced Patil to varying terms of rigorous imprisonment under different sections, culminating in a total of five years, in addition to a fine of Rs 3,30,000. In a crucial restorative directive, the court ordered that Rs 1 lakh be paid to the victim as compensation through the District Legal Services Authority.
Special Public Prosecutor L V Patil argued the case on behalf of the state. The judgment has been hailed as a robust affirmation of justice for vulnerable minors and a strict enforcement of laws designed to protect children from sexual exploitation.