Bombay HC Reduces POCSO Convict's Life Sentence For Writing Essays During Jail Term
Mumbai, Maharashtra: The Bombay High Court has recently cut the punishment of a man convicted of life imprisonment under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses (POCSO) Act, reportedly for earning certificates from participating in programmes on reading Mahatma Gandhi’s thoughts, writing essays and analyses of books during his jail term.
The court has reduced the span of his punishment from life to 12 years, considering various factors. The accused was convicted in 2020 for aggravated sexual assault on a five-year-old girl – his neighbour’s daughter in 2016. A resident of Ghatkopar chawl, the accused has now been granted a relief, with the court citing various reasons for reducing the span of his punishment from life to 12 years.
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The accused has already served over nine years in jail, making his remaining period of incarceration a few more years after being granted the relief.
The court reportedly considered factors such as the accused’s past and bail history, apart from the essay writing programmes. The court said when the accused committed the offense, he had no criminal antecedents, and he was not released on bail, even during COVID-19. It also pointed out that the accused earned three certificates while being in jail, which were produced by his lawyers O P Lalwani and Gypson John.
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The achievements consisted of certificates issued by Tilak Maharashtra Vidyapeeth, Pune, for participating in a programme on “analysis of books”, a second certificate by Ramchandra Pratishthan, Mumbai, for participating in an “essay competition” and a third certificate by Mumbai Sarvodaya Mandal “for studying the thoughts of Mahatma Gandhi, where he had successfully participated and passed the examination.
