Ahmedabad: A special Pocso judge at the city sessions court here on Tuesday sentenced a teacher at a private tuition class to 3-year imprisonment and imposed a Rs 50,000 fine on him for sexual harassment of an 11-year-old girl by demanding her obscene photos in messages on a mobile phone.Accused, now 29, worked with a leading coaching institute. On a complaint filed by the victim’s parent, the Maninagar police filed an FIR in July 2023 against him for sending messages on Snapchat to the minor student, demanding her photographs, and threatening her if she failed to do so. The coaching institute sacked him when the parents complained.After the investigation, the police charged him under provisions of the IPC and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act. Additional public prosecutors K G Jain and D M Thakor examined 8 witnesses and presented 13 pieces of documentary evidence before the court to establish the teacher’s guilt.While ordering the Rs 50,000 fine amount to be given to the victim as compensation, special Pocso judge A B Bhatt said, “The sexual harassment of a child even through an electronic means cannot be treated lightly as it has the potential to cause a deep mental impact on the child.”In its order, the court said, “The accused was in the position of teacher and the said position occupies trust and authority in the life of a student, and the accused, instead of protecting the safety of the child, misused his position by engaging in harassing the victim through electronic communication by demanding the photos of the victim, which created a sexually suggestive image of the victim, and the victim, being a minor, was unable to comprehend the nature and implication of such demand.“The court further said, “If the communication remained undiscovered, the consequences would be more serious and would cause more harm to the child’s wellbeing. Therefore, the act of the accused shall not be treated with leniency, and the punishment prescribed under the provisions is required to be imposed. Moreover, considering the position of the accused as a teacher, this Court is of the view that proper punishment and lesson is required to be awarded.“
