Udupi: Man convicted, sentenced to 20 years for sexual assault of minor

Udupi: A 34-year-old man from Udupi was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment and a fine for sexually assaulting a minor.

Karkala District and Sessions Judge Srinivas Suvarna held the accused, identified as Chandrashekhar (34), was guilty of the crime.

The incident occurred 15 years ago. According to the prosecution, the accused had befriended the minor through a mobile phone. He coerced her to visit secluded places and eventually forced himself on her in a forested area.

The crime came to light when the victim’s health deteriorated, and a medical examination revealed she was pregnant. The victim’s mother filed a police complaint.

Karkala Inspector Nagesh K  had filed a chargesheet against the accused. The case was investigated by the then-Circle Inspector Nagaraj T.D.

Out of 45 witnesses, 26 were examined during the trial. The first accused, Chandrashekhar, was found guilty and was sentenced to jail, fined Rs 21,000. He was also ordered to pay a sum of Rs 6,000 to the government and Rs 15,000 to the victim. The court directed the state to pay Rs 3 lakhs as compensation to the victim.

Special Public Prosecutor Y.T. Raghavendra argued on behalf of the State.