19-year-old gets 2-year jail term for stalking minor girl

MUMBAI: A special court on Tuesday convicted a 19-year-old man, Deepak Baijnath Jaiswal, for stalking and harassing a minor girl and sentenced him to two years rigorous imprisonment.
The prosecution submitted that the accused was persistently stalking and harassing the minor, despite repeated warnings from her family and neighbours. The harassment escalated to the point where the girl had to call the police, leading to his arrest in 2016.
The prosecution’s case was supported by witness statements and corroborative evidence. The minor girl and several other witnesses, including neighbours and family members, provided consistent statements that aligned with the allegations made by the victim against the accused.
After perusal of evidence and the CCTV footage showing the accused stalking the minor, the court said that the prosecution had presented sufficient evidence to prove the charges against the accused under Sections 354D (stalking) and 509 (insulting modesty of a woman) of the Indian Penal Code and Section 12 (sexual harassment) of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012.
The court considered the principles enunciated in Alister Anthony Pareira vs State of Maharashtra, which emphasised the need for appropriate sentencing that reflected the seriousness of the crime and its impact on society. The appellant Alister Anthony Pareira was at the wheels of a car that ran into a pavement on Crater Road in Bandra, killing seven persons and causing injuries to eight others. The high court had set aside the acquittal of the appellant and convicted him for the offence, sentencing him to undergo rigorous imprisonment for four years and six months and pay a fine of ₹ 5 lakh.
Taking reference from that case, the assistant prosecutor submitted that maximum punishment shall be given in the stalking-of-a-minor case too, considering the nature and gravity of the offences, to deter similar conduct in future. After due consideration of the facts and the nature of the crime, the court finally sentenced the 19-year-old to two years rigorous imprisonment.