Ahmedabad: A special Pocso court on Tuesday sentenced an 84-year-old shopkeeper from Madhavpura to five years in jail for sexually harassing and assaulting a 5-year-old girl who visited his shop to buy chocolates.The court also fined Tafzulhusen Kureshi Rs 5,000 and ordered Rs 1 lakh compensation for the child under the Victim Compensation Scheme.Kureshi ran a shop in Madhavpura where the girl would often go to buy chocolates. On Oct 19, 2024, her mother saw her standing at the shop and grew suspicious of Kureshi’s conduct.When the mother asked the child why she visited the shop frequently, the girl told her that Kureshi had been sexually harassing and assaulting her. The mother then called the police emergency number, after which Madhavpura police registered an FIR under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act. Kureshi, who was 82 at the time, secured bail after police filed the chargesheet.Following a trial, Kureshi was held guilty of the crime. Kureshi’s lawyer sought a lighter punishment, arguing that Kureshi had a large family, no criminal record, and deserved leniency given his advanced age.However, the court said that a young child was subjected to sexual assault and harassment when she had gone to buy chocolates. “The accused was well aware that the victim was a child, yet the offence of sexual harassment and sexual assault was committed. As an aged person, he has committed a shameful act that cannot be taken lightly. Therefore, a lenient sentence would send the wrong signal to society.”
