Nashik court sentences Surgana farmer to life under Pocso for assaulting two minors

Nashik: A Nashik district and sessions court on Tuesday sentenced a 35-year-old farmer from Surgana to life imprisonment after convicting him under the stringent Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act for sexually assaulting two minor girls between 2021 and 2022. The court also imposed a fine of 5,000.Presiding judge R N Pandhare delivered the verdict, relying significantly on the statements of the survivors, which the prosecution said were sufficient to secure a conviction.Assistant inspector Nilesh Bodkhe, then attached to the Surgana police station, said the girls were staying in a boarding school located 15-20 km from their village. "The accused, a distant relative, allegedly exploited his familiarity with the girls and threatened to inform their parents that he had seen them interacting with boys, instilling fear to control them," Bodkhe said."The man would visit the hostel posing as a relative, take the girls out on the pretext of family visits, and then assault them at different locations. The accused also operated a four-wheeler locally, which he used to transport the girls," he said.The case came to light when the accused abandoned the girls at an unfamiliar place. After the girls got lost, a villager helped them return to the hostel. Upon being questioned by the warden about their late arrival, the girls disclosed the incidents.The hostel authorities informed their families, following which a complaint was filed at the Surgana police station. The accused was arrested and charged under relevant sections of the Pocso Act and the Indian Penal Code.Assistant public prosecutor Bhanupriya Petkar said the survivors' testimonies played a crucial role in establishing the accused's guilt.