Mumbai sessions court sentences man to 1.5 years in prison for sexual harassment, calling minor girl an ‘item’

A Mumbai Court recently sentenced a 25-year-old businessman to one and a half years in jail after convicting him of sexually harassing a minor girl and calling her an "item.

"The Mumbai Dindoshi sessions court last week convicted one Mohammad Abrar Khan for outraging the modesty of a minor girl. "The accused used to tease the victim and called her 'Item'," the Court said. The accused has been sentenced to one and a half years in prison and fined Rs 500.

"The accused addressed her by using the term "item" which is a term used generally by boys to address girls in a derogatory fashion as it objectifies them in a sexual manner. The same will clearly indicate his intention of outraging her modesty. ...Such offences need to be dealt with a heavy hand as a lesson needs to be meted out to such roadside Romeos, in order to protect the women from their uncalled for behaviour," the Court order said.

The case pertains back to 2015, when 25-year-old Mohammad Abrar Khan was booked in Mumbai after a girl filed a complaint. The victim alleged that Khan and his friends used to harass her repeatedly.

According to the Court order, on the day of the crime, a 16-year-old girl was on her way from school and walking through a lane of Millat Nagar, the accused who was sitting with his friends in the lane came behind her, pulled her hair and said in Hindi, "Hey item where are you going?"As the victim felt ashamed, she told the accused not to do so. At this, he started abusing her and told her to do whatever she could as she could not harm him in any way. Hence, the victim gave a call to the number "100" from her mobile phone and asked for help. The police reached the spot within a short period. However, the accused had run away from the spot by that time.

The victim then went home and informed her father about the incident after which she went to Sakinaka Police Station with him. A report about the incident then came lodged by the victim at the Sakinaka Police Station. The police lodged an FIR against the accused under the Protection of Children Against Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and fair and legal charges of the Indian penal code.

Last week, the Dindoshi Sessions Court in Mumbai was hearing a plea filed by Khan seeking acquittal citing good behaviour. However, the judge rejected the petition and went ahead with the conviction.