Solving Crime: How a 15-year-old Mumbai girl got a 40-year-old man trying to ‘groom’ her arrested

The man was arrested under Section 12 (sexual harassment) of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act and under Indian Penal Code sections related to stalking.

When the case went to trial, the man claimed in court that there was no sexual intent in trying to sell books or pens to a girl. The court, however, observed that it was a case of grooming—a term used to denote a person building trust with a child to manipulate and sexually abuse the child later.

“It shows the victim had shown disinterest, however, the accused has repeatedly followed her…. Even the act of the accused to follow the victim repeatedly and constantly trying to contact her by asking her to take the articles, will definitely come under sexual harassment,” the court noted.

“The victim is a 15-year-old school going child. The accused was 40. So, looking at the age difference between victim and the accused, there is no need for the accused to offer the victim a pen or book or even to contact her and follow her. The said act of the accused itself is sufficient to show his sexual intent,” it added.

The court said the man followed the girl and offered a pen and a book only to interact with her and to develop the relationship by offering the articles. “It was the process of grooming the child for his sexual intent. Otherwise also, there is absolutely no explanation from the accused why he was trying to contact the minor victim girl at the relevant time,” the court said, convicting the man and sentencing him to six months in jail in 2022.