Pathanamthitta (Kerala), Jan 31 A court here on Saturday sentenced a man to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment for sexually abusing a girl, who is a relative.
Pathanamthitta Fast Track Special Court Judge Manjith T convicted the accused, uncle of the victim, under various provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and awarded multiple sentences, directing that they shall run concurrently.
The court sentenced the accused to 20 years’ rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh under Section 6(1) of the POCSO Act for aggravated penetrative sexual assault.
He was also sentenced to five years of rigorous imprisonment and fined Rs 25,000 under section 10 of the Act for aggravated sexual assault.
In addition, the court sentenced him to one year of rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 under Section 12 of the Act for sexual harassment.
The prosecution's case was that the accused sexually assaulted the girl, aged around 11 years, at his residence on multiple occasions between June 3, 2022 and June 27, 2024.
Police registered the case on October 29, 2024 and arrested the accused on November 12, 2024.
During the trial, the prosecution examined 15 witnesses and produced 28 documents, while the defence examined three witnesses.
