PANJIM: Dismissing the criminal appeal filed by former Pernem Municipal Council chairperson Vasudev Deshprabhu, the High Court of Bombay at Goa on Thursday asked him to surrender before the Goa Children’s Court for undergoing the sentence, in the minor assault case of October 2013, within next four weeks.
On November 16, last year, the Goa Children’s Court President Judge Sayonora Telles Laad had sentenced Deshprabhu to undergo three months simple imprisonment and to pay a fine of Rs 1.5 lakh for abusing and assaulting three minor boys at Mapusa. However, the Goa Children’s Court had suspended the implementation of its order till December 12, 2023 so as to allow the accused to challenge the same in the High Court.
The incident had occurred on October 3, 2013, when the three boys were having snacks on the terrace of the five-storyed building in which Deshprabhu resides, and the latter allegedly assaulted them with a wooden stick.
The prosecution in all had examined 12 witnesses to prove the case.
“The reaction of the accused who is an elderly person cannot be justified by abusing the victim and his friends and then assaulting the victim with a wooden stick. The material on record has been properly assessed to arrive at a conclusion to prove the accused guilty and hence, no interference is warranted with such findings,” High Court Judge Justice B P Deshpande said. and dismissed the criminal appeal.
