Malappuram: A fast-track special court in Tirur has sentenced a 38-year-old man to life imprisonment for sexually abusing a 59-year-old woman in 2019. Special Court Judge Reno Francis Xavier delivered the verdict, ordering Arjun Shankar, to pay a fine of Rs 40,000 in addition to serving the life term.

Arjun was convicted under Section 376 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), with the court also imposing seven years’ imprisonment and an additional fine of Rs 10,000 under Section 450. Failure to pay the fine will result in an additional nine months of imprisonment.

The investigation was led by Tirur Station House Officers (SHOs) Abdul Basheer, P K Padmarajan, and T P Farshad. Public prosecutor Advocate Aswini Kumar represented the case, during which 17 witnesses were examined, and 13 documents were submitted as evidence. The sentences are to be served concurrently.