Observing that calling a teen an ‘item’ repeatedly, was a word used to objectify her sexually, a special Court has sentenced a 25-year-old in her vicinity to a 1.5 years in prison. 

The court said the term is generally used by boys to address girls in a derogatory fashion as it objectifies them in a sexual manner. The judgment was passed last Thursday by a special court under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) in Dindoshi. The court said that such offences need to be dealt with with a heavy hand as a lesson needs to be meted out to such roadside Romeos to protect women from their uncalled for behaviour. Special Judge SJ Ansari said in the order that the prosecution has proved that he had sexually harassed her and no question arises of showing unwarranted leniency to him. 

In her testimony, the victim had narrated that on July 14, 2015 she was returning from her school in the afternoon and the Youth was sitting on his bike. He followed her, pulled her hair and called her an ‘item’. The girl had told the court that he would behave similarly with other girls in the neighbourhood as well. 

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The court said in its judgment that the youth had followed her and had been doing so for some weeks then, addressing her as ‘item’ shows he had sexual intent. “Using the term to address any girl is obviously insulting in nature”, Judge Ansari said in the order. The teen had told the court that the youth used to follow her about the area and tease her whenever she would go out in the area. She had lodged the complaint only when he went to the extent of pulling her hair one day, calling her an ‘item’ and challenging her when she protested, saying that she could not do anything to him.

The court said that the accused’s act certainly proves the fact that he outraged her modesty. Judge Ansari said this is so because the two were not related or in any kind of relationship, so it was “wholly inappropriate” of the accused to act in the manner that he did and held that the act qualifies as a criminal force on her.  

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