MUMBAI: In a trial that took only two and a half months, a 35-year-old man who tried to kiss the lips of a 19-year-old woman commuter who got off at the wrong station and was talking on the phone while waiting for the next train to arrive, was sentenced to one year rigorous imprisonment by a magistrate’s court.
The woman had raised an alarm and the accused was caught on the spot at Khar station last year.
Finding Aalok Ganpat Kanojiya guilty, Mumbai Central metropolitan magistrate B K Gawande said, “…it is clear from the evidence on record that, the accused was found while outraging the modesty of the informant, which goes to show that, the accused could have had worse intention. The offence is heinous in nature and there is no reason for granting benefit of probation in this case.”
Under the Probation of Offenders Act, an accused can be let off on a bond of good behaviour instead of serving a sentence. The magistrate also fined the accused Rs 5,000. Observing that Rs 3,000 from this amount is to be paid to the victim, the magistrate said, “I do not wish to forget the informant. If the accused is ordered to pay some compensation to her it will meet the ends of justice and the amount towards compensation will remind the accused for abstaining from committing any wrong in future.”
The trial in the case commenced in November with the woman deposing. She told the court that on June 9, 2022 she was going to Bandra from Vile Parle. For that she took a slow local from Vile Parle to Churchagate. She was travelling in a compartment reserved for women and was standing near the door. However, she mistakenly got off at Khar Road Railway station, mistaking it to be Bandra. By the time she realized, the train had left. At that time she was waiting and talking on phone. She said that suddenly a man came from behind, grabbed her neck and tried to kiss her lips. At that time she pushed him and shouted. The police immediately arrived there after seeing the crowd gathered. She further deposes that, thereafter the accused, the cop and she went to the office of the ticket collector. The woman submitted that later they all went to Bandra Railway police station where before filing the FIR, the CCTV footage was seen for confirmation.
