Vadodara: A 55-year-old man on Wednesday was sentenced to four years of rigorous imprisonment for molesting a four-year-old girl in Sankheda taluka of Chhota Udepur district in July last year.The court of additional sessions judge A I Sheikh delivered the sentence to the convict Shankar Tadvi by holding marathon hearings within a period of five months.As per the details of the case, Tadvi, a labourer, had lured the girl into going with him by saying that he would take her to her uncle’s house on July 6 last year. The girl was playing outside her house with her brother when their parents were away for work.Tadvi had taken the girl away in the bushes near the crematorium of the village where he removed her clothes. Tadvi, who was drunk, even forced the girl to consume alcohol. Later, he touched the girl inappropriately and even injured the girl on her face with his finger nails. Meanwhile, the girl’s mother returned home and when she could not find her daughter, she asked around in the neighbourhood.A neighbour, who had seen Tadvi taking away the girl, guided the woman towards the bridge on the Orsang river. On reaching the bridge, the girl’s mother walked towards the riverbank where she heard her daughter cry from a distance. On seeing the girl’s mother there, Tadvi fled away leaving the girl behind.However, Tadvi was arrested when the girl’s mother approached Sankheda police station with a complaint of molestation and violation of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.“During the hearing of the case, the girl boldly narrated the incident before the court and there were other eye-witnesses’ account too which were upheld by the court,” said additional public prosecutor J B Purani.The court ordered four years imprisonment under POCSO Act and three years of jail for molestation. Tadvi will have to serve both punishments concurrently.

Stay updated with all the Latest Vadodara headlines here. For more exclusive & live news updates from all around India, stay connected with NYOOOZ.