Mumbai, January 13: In a shocking incident, a 23-year-old man in Mumbai  was sentenced to 10 years rigorous imprisonment for sexually harassing his minor niece and eloping with her. Reports inform that the man has been booked under the special Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. The man has been awarded the jail term for eloping and committing aggravated sexual assault on his 16-year-old niece. According to a report by Hindustan Times, the girl in her statement admitted that the two were in a relationship. The court, while convicting the accused, said that despite being her maternal uncle, he eloped with her instead of counselling her. Rajasthan Family Files Missing Complaint After Woman 'Elopes in Same-Sex Relationship', Police Team Finds They Got Married in Mumbai.

The court observed that the man had sexual relations with the victim and had also committed aggravated sexual assault. In the wake of the assault on the minor, the court has also imposed a fine of Rs 25,000 on the accused, of which Rs 15,000 is to be paid to the victim’s family as compensation. The HT report informs that the incident came to light after the girl's mother alleged that once in September 2016, the 16-year-old was upset after being scolded for waking up late. The girl later went to college but did not return home and her phone was off.

The family then filed a missing complaint, after which the police started looking for the two and they were found them staying together in Pune. The mother had revealed that the accused and the girl were in a relationship and the accused is a maternal uncle of the girl. The victim in her statement claimed that they had eloped in Pune and were staying as a married couple. The girl claimed that they stayed in Pune for almost a month after getting married.

The report informs that the accused is the maternal uncle of the victim. He kidnapped her and took her to Pune where he committed sexual assault upon her, knowing fully well that she was minor.  The prosecution argued in court that the marriage between the accused and the victim is prohibited as per the Hindu Marriage Act.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 13, 2021 04:11 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).