A court in Maharashtra's Palghar district has sentenced a 41-year-old labourer to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment for sexually assaulting a minor boy.
Special Judge A H Kashikar found Madhu Dharma Govari guilty under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code.
The verdict was made on September 24, 2026. The court also imposed a fine of ₹30,000 and directed the amount to be given to the victim for rehabilitation.
Incident Took Place in 2020
The incident took place on December 12, 2020, when the victim was 14 years old, the prosecution said.
In one incident, the boy was feeding pigeons near his house when Govari, who lived nearby, allegedly called him to a terrace on the pretense of showing him young pigeons.
The prosecution told the court that the accused then took the boy into a room, gagged him and tied his hands before sexually assaulting him.
The boy managed to escape and informed his maternal aunt despite threats and attempts to offer him money. An FIR was registered on the same day.
Court Rejects Defence's Argument
One of the main points before the court was the defence’s position that such an assault was unlikely in a densely populated neighbourhood.
The court rejected that argument and said that the presence of other people does not mean that an offence could not take place. It referred to the concept of “bystander apathy” and said people in crowded areas may not intervene or may not notice what is happening.
The court ruled that this argument was not employed to discredit the victim’s testimony.
Alibi Found to Be Contradictory
The court also examined the accused’s alibi, or claim of being elsewhere when the offence took place.
According to the judgment as reported by PTI, evidence revealed the accused and the victim were on the terrace together. The court thus found the defence's alibi to be self-contradictory.
Forensic Evidence Supported the Case
The prosecution was also supported by forensic evidence. The court noted that biological evidence on the victim’s clothing matched the accused.
The judge found that the victim’s testimony was credible and supported by circumstantial and forensic evidence. The court also stated that a minor’s consent is legally irrelevant in a POCSO case.
Additional Compensation Ordered
As well as the prison sentence and the fine of ₹30,000, the court directed the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA), Thane, to provide further compensation to the victim in accordance with the rules.
The court gave Govari 20 years' rigorous imprisonment under POCSO and a 10-year sentence under Section 377 of the IPC, with both sentences running concurrently.
