Kozhikode: A Manjeri special POCSO court in Kozhikode has sentenced a 40-year-old man to 178 years of rigorous imprisonment for repeatedly sexually assaulting his 11-year-old daughter. The judge, A M Ashraf, also imposed a fine of Rs 10.7 lakh on the convict.
According to the prosecution, the accused assaulted the child three times at their home between January 2022 and January 2023, threatening to kill her if she disclosed the abuse. The court sentenced him to 40 years each under Sections 5(m), (n), and (l) read with Section 6(1) of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act for aggravated penetrative sexual assault, as well as under IPC Section 376(3).
Additionally, he received five years for assault and criminal intimidation under POCSO Sections 9(m), 9(l), and IPC Section 354, plus three years for unlawful restraint.
The sentences will run concurrently, meaning the actual time to be served will be at least 40 years. The court highlighted the severity of the offenses and noted that the accused had previously been sentenced in a separate rape case involving a disabled neighbor, committing the assaults on his daughter while out on bail.
