Udupi: POCSO case - Accused sentenced to 20 years rigorous imprisonment

Udupi: A 27-year-old accused hailing from Shivamogga was sentenced to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment by a local court for sexually assaulting a minor girl.

The accused person, who was a relative of the victim, had come in April 2023 to participate in a marriage ceremony held in Brahmavara. After the program, he stayed in the girl’s house for a few days, during this period he sexually assaulted the girl. He also threatened the girl not to inform anyone about the matter.

During a hospital visit, it was revealed that the girl was pregnant and the incident came to light. Following this, a case was registered at the Udupi Women’s police station based on the girl’s complaint.

Following a thorough investigation, investigating officer Police Inspector Jayananda K. of Udupi Women’s Police Station filed a charge sheet against the accused in December 2024. The court examined 20 witnesses out of a total of 36 mentioned in the chargesheet, including the victim girl’s testimony and the DNA report.

Based on the evidence, District Court Judge Srinivasa Suvarna pronounced the accused guilty of the crime, sentenced him to 20 years in prison, and imposed a fine of  Rs 21,000, of which Rs 15,000 be given to the victim. The court also directed the State to pay a compensation of Rs 2 lakh to the aggrieved girl.  

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