A court in Thane has sentenced a 61-year-old man to three years of rigorous imprisonment for sexually assaulting two minor girls from his neighbourhood in 2023. According to PTI, Additional Sessions Judge A S Bhagwat delivered the verdict on 15 March, convicting the accused, Ismail Kalu Shaikh, under relevant provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 on him.

As per PTI reports, Special Public Prosecutor Vivek Kadu informed the court that the incident took place on 30 October 2023 in the Manpada area of Thane city, Maharashtra. The accused allegedly took the two minor girls, aged five and seven at the time, to his residence, where he sexually assaulted them. One of the victims later informed her mother about the ordeal, following which a police complaint was lodged on 1 November 2023.