Mangaluru : A Mangaluru court has sentenced a 32-year-old resident of Tenka Yedapadavu of Mangaluru taluk to 20 years imprisonment after finding him guilty of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl in the same village in January 2023.

Additional District and Sessions Judge, Fast Track Sessions Court-2, K.S. Maanu, sentenced Prakash to 20 years of imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs.50,000 for the offence punishable under Section 6 of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act read with Section 376 of Indian Penal Code. In default of the payment of the fine, Prakash shall undergo further simple imprisonment of four months, the Judge said.

As per the chargesheet, the girl had come to her aunt’s house in the village on January 17, 2023. As nobody was in, the girl sat on the seat out of the house. Prakash, a relative of the girl, came to the house and took her inside. He locked the front door and sexually assaulted the girl. Prakash threatened her against revealing about the incident. In anguish, the girl slashed her hands with a blade. When the girl’s sister came to the house a few minutes later, the victim confided about the sexual assault.

Following the complaint, the Mangaluru Women Police arrested Prakash. The then inspectors Lokesh and Shantinath investigated the case and filed chargesheet for the offences punishable under Sections 4 and 8 of POSCO Act and under Sections 354, 376 and 506 of IPC.

Prosecutor K. Badarinath Nayari examined 13 witnesses, including the victim, her family members and two doctors.

In the judgement on August 3, the Judge said the whole fine amount of Rs.50,000 will be paid as compensation to the victim. The Judge asked the District Legal Services Authority to pay Rs.2.5 lakh to the minor girl as victim compensation under Section 357 (A) of Criminal Procedure Code.