Ahmedabad: A special Pocso court convicted an autorickshaw driver to one-year imprisonment for molesting an eight-year-old girl, whom he ferried to school daily. The court praised the girl for calling out the driver’s crime and ordered Rs 2,000 compensation as an appreciation for her courage.
This case involved Amrat Raval, 52, who transported children from the Maninagar area to a school in Naranpura. The girl’s parents filed an FIR with the Maninagar police, saying that the auto driver molested the child on Nov 2, 2023. An investigation took place, and the police filed a chargesheet against Raval under Section 354(1) of the IPC and provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act.
The trial took place, and special judge A B Bhatt found Raval guilty after scrutinising the evidence. The court stated, “A child of such a young age needs protection and security, and the accused is of her grandfather’s age and is trusted by the child’s parents as a rickshaw driver. Instead of making the child feel safe through love, affection and warmth, the accused attempts to satisfy his own physical desires. This act mocks the trust expressed in him by society.”
When leniency was sought and the victim also wanted to pardon the driver, the court said, “The victim stated that the accused apologised to her, and she wishes to forgive him. However, to prevent others from thinking that such actions can be excused merely by an apology and to deter similar offences, it is deemed appropriate to impose a lighter sentence on the accused.”
After punishing the driver, the court appreciated the child’s gesture: “Considering the facts of this case, since the victim did not suffer any physical injuries, there is no need to make a special order for compensation. However, the young child showed courage by resisting the crime and bravely reporting it, preventing a more serious crime from occurring. To acknowledge the child’s courageous act and the mental distress suffered, it is ordered that an amount of Rs 2,000 be paid as full compensation to the victim under Section 357(1) of the Criminal Procedure Code from the aforementioned fund.”