Kozhikode (Kerala), February 27 A Kerala court on Friday sentenced a 41-year-old man to a cumulative 53 years in prison for the aggravated sexual assault of a 13-year-old girl at her residence near Perambra here in 2023.
Judge Devan K Menon of the Nadapuram Fast Track Special Court sentenced Muhammed Reyhan under various provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and the Indian Penal Code (IPC) to a cumulative 53 years, special public prosecutor (SPP) Manoj Aroor said.
Since the sentences must be served concurrently, and the maximum punishment was 20 years in prison, Reyhan will have to serve that term, SPP Aroor said.
The court also imposed a fine of Rs 2.1 lakh on the convict, SPP Aroor said.
The sexual assault incidents occurred in August 2023 at the victim's residence, and information about it was communicated to the child helpline through the girl's school teacher, the prosecutor said.
The child helpline informed the police, who recorded the girl's statement.
The accused was a hotel worker who committed the crime while he was receiving treatment for an injury.
Although Reyhan had applied for bail several times, he was denied the relief due to the seriousness of the case and the prosecution's arguments, SPP Aroor said.
During the trial, the prosecution examined 13 witnesses, presented 21 documents, and produced 4 pieces of evidence to ensure a conviction, he said.