Mumbai: A special court here on Tuesday awarded five years of rigorous imprisonment to a 29-year-old teacher of a madrasa for molesting two minor girls in 2016.
Special judge M A Baraliya found the accused guilty of offences under section 354 (molestation) of the IPC and relevant provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
According to the prosecution, the 11-year-old victim and her nine-year-old sister were attending classes at a madrasa, where the accused had been teaching for over 10 years.
In August, 2016, the victim returned home from the madrasa crying and informed her parents that the accused had touched her inappropriately and had also kissed her, the prosecution said.
The younger sibling also made a similar allegation and refused to attend classes at the madrasa.
When the parents confronted the accused, he gave evasive answers, following which a case was registered at Trombay police station.
The accused was arrested and granted bail after two months, as the police had failed to file a charge sheet within the stipulated time of 60 days.
During the trial, the prosecution examined the victims and their parents to prove the case.