SURAT: A special court for Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act in Surat convicted a 32-year-old grocery shop owner for rape and sexual assault of an 11-year-old girl on Tuesday.
The convict was sentenced to 20 years in jail by the court and compensation of Rs 7 lakh to the survivor was ordered.
The court of P S Kala, special judge for POCSO cases, convicted Mohammad Javed Abdul Shaikh, a resident of Umarwada.
Shaikh was booked for rape and sexual assault of the minor in November 2019 and was arrested by the police soon after the complaint was lodged.
In the incident, the girl refused to go to buy anything from the Shaikh’s shop and being pressured to go she started crying.
When her mother questioned, she told her that she was sexually assaulted by Shaikh when there was no one in the shop.
She told her mother that Shaikh repeated the crime multiple times threatening to kill her if she complained.
“Soon the minor was brought to the police station and her statement was recorded.
Later the minor described the exact details in court as well.
Based on statements of the minor and witnesses, the accused was convicted,” said Kishore Revaliya, public prosecutor.
The complaint was lodged at Salabatpura police station.
(The victim’s identity has not been revealed to protect her privacy as per Supreme Court directives on cases related to sexual assault)