Ahmedabad court sentences auto-rickshaw driver to 18 months in jail for stalking 10-year-old girl

A Special POCSO Court in Ahmedabad has convicted auto-rickshaw driver Ajay Talpada and sentenced him to one-and-a-half years (18 months) imprisonment for stalking a 10-year-old girl in the Meghaninagar area.

The court noted that the accused could not provide any satisfactory explanation for returning to the shop counter twice. The victim's allegation that the accused was watching pornographic material on his phone and attempting to show it to her could not be conclusively proven, as the CCTV footage did not clearly establish whether he had turned the phone towards her or not.

The digital evidence from the accused mobile phone revealed cookies data indicating he had accessed pornographic websites around the time of the incident. Combined with his unexplained repeated visits and movements captured on camera, the court found sufficient grounds to convict him under relevant provisions, including those related to stalking a minor.

During the trial, the court examined CCTV footage from the shop, which was authenticated by a Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) report confirming no tampering. The footage clearly showed the accused parking his rickshaw in front of the shop, visiting the counter twice, making a U-turn after initially leaving, and returning to park again. He was seen standing near the shop, approaching the counter to speak briefly, and then using his mobile phone while seated in the rickshaw.

The case stems from an FIR lodged at Meghaninagar Police Station on July 13, 2024. According to the complaint, accused arrived at a shop in his auto-rickshaw and asked the minor girl, who was sitting at the counter, for change for Rs 100. When she refused, he returned to his vehicle and allegedly attempted to sexually harass her. Frightened, the girl fled to a nearby friend's house, but the accused reportedly followed her in his rickshaw. He later returned, parked in front of the shop again, and left only after some time. The girl later narrated the incident to her mother, leading to the police complaint.