Kalpetta: A youngster has been sentenced to 25 years of imprisonment and fined ₹1.10 lakh for sexually assaulting a minor girl over a prolonged period, resulting in her pregnancy.

According to a police communique, Additional District and Sessions Court-I, Kalpetta, Judge P Saidalavi, on Thursday sentenced Hashiq Rahman, 28, of Keedakkatt House, Kayakkunnu, Nelliyambam, near Nadavayal, to 25 years of imprisonment and imposed a fine of ₹1.10 lakh for sexually assaulting the minor girl, who then became pregnant.

The case was registered at the Meenangadi police station in 2022. The accused was booked under provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

According to the prosecution, the accused sexually assaulted the girl on multiple occasions during 2021 and 2022. The girl became pregnant, following which the matter came to the notice of her relatives and then the police.

Meenangadi police Inspector M Sanalraj initially investigated the case. However, after the case was registered, the accused fled to the Gulf to evade arrest. A lookout notice was issued against him and he was arrested at the Calicut International Airport in 2024 when he returned home.

Later, Meenangadi Station House Officer O A Santhosh Kumar re-investigated the case and submitted the charge sheet before the court.

Public Prosecutor T G Mohandas appeared for the prosecution. The court directed that the sentences awarded under the various offences would run concurrently.