Woman's 3-yr jail term in trafficking case upheld by South Goa court

Colva: South Goa additional sessions court judge Dvijple Patkar upheld the conviction of Suchita Gurav, an accused in a prostitution case. She was sentenced to undergo three years imprisonment by the judicial magistrate first class (JMFC), Ram Prabhudessai.

The prosecution’s case was that on May 31, 2012, the accused was caught red-handed near the wholesale fish market at Seraulim while supplying a girl to a customer for the purpose of prostitution.

The accused had procured the girl from Panvel, Mumbai, under the pretext of providing her a job and forced her into prostitution against her will.

The accused was charged under Sections 4 and 5 of the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act.

After examining seven witnesses, the JMFC convicted the accused for the offence punishable under Section 5 (1)(c) of the act and sentenced her to undergo imprisonment for a term of three years. The court also directed the accused to pay fine of Rs 2,000 or in default to undergo further imprisonment of one month. However, Gurav was acquitted of the offence under Section 4 of the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act as the JMFC held that the prosecution had not examined the victim girl to prove that the accused was living on the earnings of prostitution.

The accused being aggrieved by the judgment appealed in the South Goa additional sessions court. While dismissing the appeal, the appellate court observed that no fault can be found with the trial court’s judgment and the sentence.