A school teacher in Diu has been handed a five-year prison sentence for sexually assaulting a minor student, in a stern verdict under the stringent Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. The District and Sessions Court delivered the judgment on Saturday, December 27, 2025, marking a significant conclusion to a case that began in 2023.
Court Delivers Verdict and Sentence
The court sentenced the accused to five years of rigorous imprisonment for the crime of molestation. Additionally, a fine of Rs 10,000 was imposed. The judge ruled that failure to pay this fine would result in an additional one year of rigorous imprisonment for the convict.
Since the accused teacher had already spent two years in Amreli jail as an undertrial prisoner, he will now serve a further three years behind bars. This adjustment was made in accordance with Section 428 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), 1973, which allows for the period of detention undergone during investigation or trial to be set off against the sentence of imprisonment.
Details of the 2023 Case
The case dates back to 2023 when the parents of the victim, a female student, filed a First Information Report (FIR) against the teacher. The prosecution presented evidence that the teacher, exploiting his position of trust, called the student to an empty classroom and inappropriately touched her.
The sequence of events, as detailed in the chargesheet, shows that the brave student first reported the incident to her parents. Acting promptly, her parents submitted a written complaint to the school principal on November 29, 2023. The principal verified the complaint the very next day, on November 30, leading to legal action.
Legal Proceedings and Prosecution's Stand
During the trial, the prosecution strongly argued that the accused, being a teacher, committed a "heinous crime" that betrayed the sanctity of the educational environment. Key to the conviction were the statements of the victim recorded under Sections 161 and 164 of the CrPC, which consistently and clearly described the assault.
These recorded testimonies proved crucial in establishing the prosecution's case beyond reasonable doubt, leading to the conviction under the POCSO Act, which mandates severe punishment for sexual offences against children.
This verdict underscores the judiciary's zero-tolerance approach towards crimes against minors, especially those committed by individuals in positions of authority and care like school teachers.
