Mangaluru: Three sentenced to imprisonment in POCSO case
Mangaluru (PTI): vThe judge K M Radhakrishna also imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 on the convicted person, Dervi D'Souza, a painter from Kotekar on the outskirts of the city.
The survivor's mother, Leena Noronha, who assisted him in the crime, was also sentenced to 14 years in jail and a fine of Rs 25,000 for offence punishable under Section 17 (abetment of sexual assault) of the POCSO Act.
Another accused, Melvin D'Souza who sheltered the woman and the girl was sentenced to six months imprisonment and a fine of Rs 30,000 for failure to report the case.
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The prime accused Dervi D'Souza was also sentenced to seven years and fined Rs 25,000 under IPC section 366 (abduction) and two years for offence punishable under IPC section 343 (wrongful confinement). The sentences will run concurrently, the judge said.
According to the charge sheet, the survivor, who was aged 15, was staying with her mother in a house after the death of her father. Dervi D'Souza frequently visited the house and financially helped Leena. During one of his visits in 2016, he sexually assaulted the girl. When the victim told her mother about it, the latter backed D'Souza who was allowed to continue the assault.
When neighbours started expressing doubts, Dervi D'Souza took the girl and her mother to Melvin's house in May, 2016, where he continued the sexual assault.
On December 17, based on definite information, the district child protection unit raided the house and rescued the girl. Based on her statement, the Ullal police registered a case against the three accused persons and a charge sheet was filed after detailed investigation.
Special public prosecutor Venkataramanaswamy examined a total of 20 witnesses during trial. The judge, in his order, also directed the chairman of the district legal services authority to pay Rs 1 lakh to the survivor as compensation.
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New Delhi: Several press organisations have called for the withdrawal of the FIR filed by the Uttar Pradesh Police against Mohammed Zubair, co-founder of fact-checking platform Alt News. The FIR includes allegations of endangering India’s sovereignty, unity, and integrity under s. 152 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
The case stems from Zubair’s social media post on October 3, where he shared a video of Hindutva leader Yati Narsinghanand’s speech that allegedly contained derogatory remarks about Prophet Muhammad. The video, shared on X (formerly Twitter), led to protests from Muslim groups across several cities. The complaint against Zubair was filed by Udita Tyagi, general secretary of the Yati Narsimhanand Saraswati Foundation, claiming the post was intended to incite violence.
On November 27, the Allahabad High Court was informed that s. 152 of the BNS and s. 66 of the Information Technology Act had been added to the FIR. While the court allowed these additions, press bodies expressed strong opposition to the charges, calling them a misuse of laws meant to stifle press freedom and dissent.
The Press Club of India described s. 152 as a "new avatar" of the sedition law, warning of its potential to silence media and free thinkers. Similarly, DIGIPUB, an association of digital news organisations, condemned the FIR as a "vindictive and unreasonable overreach" by the authorities.
DIGIPUB questioned whether the Uttar Pradesh government intends to target journalists who expose hate speech against minorities. It urged the police to shift focus to prosecuting individuals making hate speeches rather than harassing journalists like Zubair.
The Allahabad High Court has scheduled the next hearing on December 3, directing the investigating officer to provide detailed affidavits regarding the charges. Meanwhile, Zubair has sought legal protection against arrest.
