New Delhi: A Mumbai court has sentenced a man to 18 months in jail for sexual harassment of a minor, saying that addressing a girl as an “item” is derogatory as it objectifies her in a sexual manner.

On July 14, 2015, when the 16-year-old girl was returning from school, the accused pulled her hair and asked her "kya item kidhar ja rahi ho? (Where are you going, item?)," LiveLaw reported.

The report said that the accused continued to make derogatory remarks, harassing the girl. She then called the police helpline '100'. The accused fled by the time the police reached, but a first information report (FIR) was filed subsequently with the help of her father.

According to Indian Express, the accused was booked under Section 354 (sexual harassment), 354 (D) (stalking) 506 (criminal intimidation), and Section 504 (intentional insult) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and relevant charges of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act.

The court refused to release him on the execution of a bond of good behaviour under the Probation of Offenders Act, the report added.

Judge S.J. Ansari observed, "Such offences need to be dealt with a heavy hand as a lesson needs to be meted out to such roadside romeos, in order to protect women from their uncalled for behaviour. Consequently, there does not arise any question of granting the benefit of probation to the accused or showing unwarranted leniency to him."

"The fact of the accused having intentionally caught hold of the victim 'X's hair and having pulled it, as also of he calling her an "item", in my opinion, will certainly go to prove the fact of he having outraged her modesty," judge Ansari further observed.

However, as per the LiveLaw report, the judge said that the charge of stalking hasn't been proven.

The judge held him guilty under sections dealing with sexual harassment, under Section 354 of the IPC and section 12 of the POCSO Act.

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