Patan POCSO court sentences minor molester to 3 years in jail

A special POCSO court in Patan has sentenced Jigar Kumar Solanki to three years rigorous imprisonment for stalking, molesting and threatening a minor girl. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 2500 on the accused. The verdict was delivered by Second Additional District and Sessions Judge of Patan district and Special POCSO Court Judge K. J. Modi gave it. The court also ordered a monetary compensation of Rs 50,000 for the rehabilitation of the victim. According to the details of the case, 25-year-old Jigarkumar Jitendrabhai Haribhai Solanki, a resident of Indiranagar Society (Vankarwas) in Chanasma, who works as a labourer, had been mentally harassing the minor girl for the past one month by stopping her on her way to school. Initially, the terrified girl did not talk to anyone, but the harassment of the accused continued to increase. Later, on the morning of February 23, 2025, when the minor went out to buy vegetables in the market, the accused Jigar blocked her way on the street. The accused grabbed the minor's hand and made obscene gestures on the public road and lured her with Rs 200 by forcing her to come along. The girl went home crying and told her mother and elder sister the whole story. When the minor's mother and sister went to scold the accused, Jigar abused them and threatened to kill them. Hence the victim's family lodged a legal complaint at Chanasma police station. The police verified the date of birth of the minor and obtained school documents, which proved that the girl was under 18 years of age at the time of the incident. During the trial of the special POCSO case in the court, public prosecutor A.P. J J Barot made sharp arguments and presented oral as well as documentary evidence including the victim's girl, her mother, elder sister and the principal of the school. After considering the arguments and evidence of both sides, the special judge convicted the accused Jigar Solanki and sentenced him to three years rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 1,000 under Section 12 of the POCSO Act. If he fails to pay the fine, he will be sentenced to three months in jail.