Two physical education teachers from a renowned school in Alipore, Kolkata, were found guilty of raping a 4-year-old girl enrolled in a nursery class in 2017. The girl was allegedly raped in the school bathroom by Mohammed Mofizuddin and his assistant, Abhishek Roy. Both were found guilty by the court on March 29, 2023, per Sections 376D of the IPC and 6 of the POCSO act.
After the conviction, Mofizuddin was handed down a life sentence on Friday, March 31, 2023, along with Roy. Both were additionally ordered to pay a fine of Rs 50,000.
“Apart from life imprisonment, the court imposes a fine of Rs 50,000 and once this money is deposited, it will be given to the victim immediately,” the Alipore court stated while pronouncing the judgment. The court further awarded Rs 5 lakh to the victim as compensation.
The girl’s father said he is relieved and satisfied with the court’s decision. “Such criminals will think before touching a child. This decision is a triumph for me, my wife, and my daughter. I have fought for about five years. I will be able to sleep peacefully after a long time.”
The victim’s father said that he lost his job during the struggle to get justice for his daughter after which he started doing business. However, he never gave up his quest for justice and attended every hearing.
“I had to often travel out of the city due to my job. I had to frequently attend court for the first three months after the case began. Consequently, I was unable to continue working. I decided to seek justice. At that time, I advised other parents to refrain from any violence against the school since that was not my objective”, the victim’s father stated
The girl’s father produced 21 prosecution witnesses, according to Madhavi Ghosh, the special public prosecutor for POCSO cases. Meanwhile, the girl child’s testimony in a closed room served as the main evidence.
The complaint was made by the child’s parents on November 30, 2017, alleging that their daughter was led into the washroom by two men—one of whom was known to the children as “Chocolate Kaku”—and then sexually assaulted.
According to the girl’s father, she had complained of abdominal pain when she got home from school that day. The victim’s mother noticed bloodstains on her uniform as well.
“We initially took her to a pediatrician as we thought she had an infection. We were left shocked when the doctor said it was a case of sexual assault,” the victim’s father said.
Later that evening, he brought the child to the Jadavpur police station. The child was taken to SSKM Hospital for a checkup after a complaint was lodged.