TN: Man in 60s sentenced to 7-year jail in sexual harassment case

Erode, Sep 7: A Mahila Court here sentenced a 61-year-old man to undergo seven years rigorous imprisonment (RI) for sexually harassing two girls.

The prosecution case was that Shankar, a daily wage worker of Sillankattupudur village near Arachalure here on August 20 last year, took a seven-year-old girl of the same area to an isolated place by promising her of providing a sweet and sexually harassed her.

The girl went to her house and narrated the incident to her parents. Based on their complaint with the All Women Police, Arachalure, the sexagenarian was arrested.

The girl informed the police that the elderly person also harassed another girl of the same area. The police registered two separate cases against Shankar under Section 9 (1), 9 (m) of Protection of Children From Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

He was produced before a Magistrate, who remanded him under judicial custody. When the case came up for hearing on Tuesday, District Mahila Court Judge Malathi sentenced Shankar to seven years RI in each case concurrently.

The judge also ordered the Tamil Nadu government to grant Rs 3.50 lakh each to the affected girls as compensation.