Chandigarh: ‘Godman’ gets 7-year jail for sexually assaulting minor
Manoju Rowlo, alias Lal Baba, who is in the 50s, was held guilty under Section 342 (wrongful confinement) of the Indian Penal Code, and Sections 10 (aggravated sexual assault) and 12 (sexual harassment) of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act
A special fast-track POCSO court has awarded seven-year jail to a self-styled godman who had sexually assaulted an 11-year-old girl in Chandigarh’s Kaimbwala village in April this year.
Manoju Rowlo, alias Lal Baba, who is in the 50s, was held guilty under Section 342 (wrongful confinement) of the Indian Penal Code, and Sections 10 (aggravated sexual assault) and 12 (sexual harassment) of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. The court also imposed a fine of ₹31,000 on him.
On April 15, police received information about sexual assault on a minor girl at Kaimbwala village. On reaching the spot, they found a minor girl present with two other persons.
The child told police that around 11 am, she boarded a cycle rickshaw owned by her mother’s acquaintance to reach Saketri temple in Panchkula. On the way, a long-haired man, dressed as a sage, demanded money from the rickshaw puller, who gave him ₹10. The man then told them to visit his hutment. As they followed him, the man threatened the rickshaw-puller, who got alarmed and fled.
The child said the man then latched the door and sexually assaulted her. She managed to unlatch the door and tried to escape, but she got scared by barking dogs. As she fell, the accused caught hold of her again. Hearing her screams, a forest guard rushed to the scene and rescued her.
Police were called and the accused was booked. Wrapping up the trial in eight months, the court held him guilty on December 8 and awarded him a seven-year jail sentence on Monday.
Awarding the sentence, the court said, “The saplings of an innocent year of childhood are undoubtedly required to be nurtured with love and affection, manuring the same with tremendous care, instilling a sense of security, safety in the minor child to enable her to blossom into a responsible citizen of society. In the case in hand, the convict rather than instilling a sense of security and care, has instilled fear and insecurity in the mind of the victim child. The wrongful act of the convict has left the imprint of horrifying experience in the memory lane of the victim child. Such an abhorrent act on behalf of the convict does not augur well with our ethos.”
The court also recommended the case to the District Legal Services Authority for ₹1-lakh compensation under the Victim Compensation Scheme.