Court sends man to 5 yrs jail for secretly filming minor

New Delhi, Jan 31 (PTI) A Delhi court has sentenced a man to five years' jail for secretly filming a minor girl and infringing on her fundamental right to "privacy of body".

Additional sessions judge Susheel Bala Dagar heard arguments on the man's sentencing. He was convicted under Sections 14 (punishment for using a child for pornographic purposes) and 12 (sexual assault) of the Protection of Children against Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act after being booked in 2017.

"Every child being a citizen, has the fundamental right to life, which has a component of the right to privacy, which is the most basic of all rights. Abusers who indulge in such pervert acts do not seem to realise that they are infringing on the fundamental right to privacy of body of the victim," said the court.

On January 29, the court observed the convict secretly filmed the minor girl in the bathroom.

"Men who indulge in such enjoyment do not seem to realise how a child victim may be affected by such acts," it said.

Additional public prosecutor Yogita Kaushik Dahiya argued the convict did not deserve leniency for the "abominable and reprehensible" act.

"The seriousness of the offence lies not in the extent of punishment it carries but in the impact, it has on the social psyche and public order," said the court and awarded the 25-year-old convict to five years of rigorous imprisonment under the POCSO law.

The court said both sentences will run concurrently and awarded Rs 3 lakh compensation to the survivor. PTI MNR AMK