Man gets 10 years RI for sexually assaulting child

The Fast Track Mahila Court, Vellore, on Tuesday sentenced a man to 10 years’ imprisonment for sexually assaulting a five-year-old girl in 2015.

S. Lakshmi Priya, public prosecutor, said Annamalai, then aged 20 years, sexually assaulted the child on April 19, 2015. He had taken the child to a defunct municipal toilet in the locality saying he would buy her chocolates and sexually assaulted her.

Following this, a case was registered at the All Women Police Station.

Booked under POCSO

He was booked under section 363 (punishment for kidnapping) and section 366 (kidnapping, abducting or inducing woman to compel her marriage, etc.) of the Indian Penal Code and section 6 (punishment for aggravated sexual assault) read with section 5 (m) (whoever commits penetrative sexual assault on a child below twelve years) of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012.

Delivering the verdict on Tuesday, P. Mathusuthanan, sessions judge, sentenced Annamalai to one year rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of ₹1,000 under section 363, two years rigorous imprisonment and a fine of ₹2,000 under section 366 of IPC.

He was sentenced to 10 years rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of ₹3,000 under POCSO Act. He will undergo the sentence concurrently.

The sessions judge also recommended to the District Legal Services Authority to arrange for compensation for the child.

In the last one week, this was the third such verdict in which the sessions judge has awarded rigorous imprisonment for men who had sexually assaulted girls below the age of 12, Ms. Priya said.

On April 17, a man was sentenced to 10 years rigorous imprisonment for sexually assaulting a six-year-old girl in 2015. This was followed by a verdict on April 20 awarding similar punishment for a man, who had abducted and sexually assaulted an 11-year-old in 2014.