Mumbai, February 19: A sessions court in Dindoshi has convicted a 32-year-old man under a provision of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) observing that following a girl and repeatedly saying ‘aaja aaja’ to her despite her clear indication of disinterest in him is sexual harassment.

According to a report in FreePressJournal, the said incident took place in Sep 2015, when the victim was a 15-year-old Class X student. Narrating the incident, the girl said that when she was going for her French tuitions by walking, the man, then in his mid-twenties, had followed her on a bicycle and uttered ‘aaja aaja’ repeatedly. He continued this for a few more days. Supreme Court Says 'When Marriage Void, Cruelty Charge Against Husband and Family Not Sustainable'.

Though on the first day, she had tried to take help from men who were on the street who tried to chase him but he had fled on his bicycle. She had told her tuition teacher and her parents about the incidents. The mother approached the police and lodged a complaint. Later, they discovered that the accused was working as night watchman in an adjoining building and told her mother. Delhi Court Says ‘Comments on Looks Can’t Be Considered Sexually Coloured Remarks’.

In his reply, the man had sought leniency from the court on the pretext that he has a wife and a three-year old child and is poor. Additional Sessions Judge AZ Khan sentenced him to the period he had already undergone as an undertrial between Sep 2015, when he was arrested and March, 2016, when he secured bail.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 19, 2023 12:47 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).