In a landmark judgment, the Pune Sessions Court gave 24-year-old Rudra Chanveer Gowda Patil three years’ rigorous imprisonment for sexually harassing a 12-year-old trainee shooter at the Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex in Mahalunge. The incidents between May 14 and 20, 2019, at the Gun for Glory range had been reported by the survivor’s grandmother and resulted in a case registered at Hinjawadi police station.
Mrudula Narale
Pune| 07 June, 2025: The young girl, who was taking an introductory shooting course over her school break, was subjected to indecent behavior by Patil, who worked at the sports complex. On May 14, he made indecent gestures and tried to touch her indecently while she picked up her gun. Even after informing her parents, who assured her that they would take up the matter, a repeat was witnessed the next day. On May 20, when the girl’s mother took her to the complex, Patil asked her mother why she was there, provided the girl with coffee, and tried to take her hand, further intensifying the harassment.
The survivor’s grandmother soon lodged a complaint, and Patil was arrested and detained at Yerwada jail. The prosecution, ably represented by lawyers Pushkar Patil and Mayur Dhatavkar, had cogent evidence in the form of CCTV images depicting Patil trailing the girl and the survivor’s uniform statement. Evidence was further bolstered with an email sent by the girl’s mother to the authorities of the sports complex explaining the incidents. The defense argument that the complaint was made in retaliation of a reprimand fell flat and had no effect on the credibility of the survivor.
The court held Patil guilty under Section 354 of the Indian Penal Code and Sections 11 and 12 of the POCSO Act and sentenced him to three years’ imprisonment and a Rs. 7,000 fine. This judgment reflects the judiciary’s intent to protect children and punish sexual harassment, bringing justice to the young survivor and her family.
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