Malappuram: The Manjeri Fast Track Court has sentenced a mother and stepfather to 180 years of rigorous imprisonment for the repeated sexual abuse of her minor daughter. The court also imposed a fine of ₹11,75,000 on the couple. The Manjeri POCSO Special Court judge, A M Ashraf, observed that the acts constituted a level of cruelty that no mother should ever inflict upon her child.

The complaint alleges that the abuse occurred over two years, from 2019 to 2021. The woman, a native of Thiruvananthapuram, left her first husband in 2019 and eloped with a young man from Cherpulassery in Palakkad district. The couple subsequently relocated from Palakkad to Malappuram, residing in various locations. It was during this time that the stepfather subjected the girl, born from the woman's first marriage, to brutal and repeated sexual abuse.  Apart from these, the couple forced the child to watch their intimate moments, showed porn on mobile phones and physically assaulted her.  

When her paternal grandfather attempted to visit, the mother and stepfather blocked the meeting, leading to an argument. Local residents intervened and reported that the child was often beaten and denied food, prompting the grandfather to file a police complaint.

During counselling, the child asked whether a camera had been implanted in her head. She later revealed that the stepfather had threatened her by claiming such a device existed and that it would expose her if she disclosed the abuse. This threat was used to intimidate her and continue the assaults.

The case was registered and investigated by Inspector Rasiya Bangala, who was then stationed at the Malappuram Women's Police Station and recorded the girl’s statement. She was assisted in the investigation by Sub-Inspector Sandhyadevi and Senior Civil Police Officer Deepa. Special Public Prosecutor A Somasundaran appeared for the prosecution, examining 26 witnesses and producing 33 documents before the court. Assistant Sub-Inspector N Salma from the Prosecution Liaison Wing also assisted the prosecution. The convicted individuals have been remanded to Thavanur Jail to serve their sentences.