NT Reporter
Panaji
The Panaji Fast Track Special POCSO Court has convicted and sentenced Mahesh Chanekar, a former teacher, to 11 years of rigorous imprisonment for repeated sexual assault of a minor student between 2015 and September 2019.
While the defence argued for leniency, citing the accused’s age, the court said that there was a need for a deterrent message regarding the protection of children in educational settings. The court also directed that the victim be granted aid under the Goa Victim Compensation Scheme.
The victim, who was 16 years old at the time of the first incident, testified that the accused coerced her into attending extra classes at his home by threatening that she would fail her
science examinations.
During these sessions, he began touching her inappropriately and recording photographs and videos.
He used the recorded material to blackmail her into staying silent.
The case came to light in June 2020 after the victim, then an adult, lodged a complaint. She said that despite passing her examinations and changing her SIM card, the accused continued to contact her from unknown numbers and threatened to leak the explicit content on social media.
The investigation revealed that Chanekar, 54, exploited his position of
authority.
The court said that the accused, being in a position of trust, misused the trust reposed in him by the student and committed the offence.
The court relied on the victim’s testimony, which it found credible despite a five-year delay in reporting.
The court said that the delay was justified by the “traumatic experience” and the victim’s fear of being ostracised by her family. Medical evidence corroborated vaginal penetration.
