A 35-year-old man who posed as a policeman and abused a 15-year-old girl who had absconded from the government's Social Security Complex in Thiruvananthapuram was sentenced to seven years rigorous imprisonment and fined ₹65,000.

The order passed by the Thiruvananthapuram Special Fast Track Court Judge Anju Meera Birla on Monday said that the Legal Services Authority should hand over the penalty amount to the survivor.

The incident that led to the abuse took place three years ago on November 5, 2022. Two 15-year-old girls lodged in the Social Security Complex gave the guards the slip and fled the Social Security home at night to meet their friend at the Medical College ground, some seven kilometres away.

It was at the Medical College ground that the accused, 35-year-old Vishnu, saw the girls. Their lost looks had aroused his suspicion, and he accosted them, introducing himself as a policeman. In police style, he asked them why they were there so late at night.

Fearing that they would be dragged back to the government home, the girls ran. Vishnu followed them in his scooter and quickly caught up with them. He asked them to get on the back of his two-wheeler. When the girls looked utterly stricken, Vishnu assured them that they would be spared of any punishment if they listened to what he said. Trusting the 'policeman', they travelled with him.

He booked them into a lodge where one of the girls were subjected to sexual abuse. The other girl fell into a deep sleep, and Vishnu used the chance to make advances to the other girl. When the girl fell into a state of panic, Vishnu promised marriage and forced himself on the girl.

The next day, he dropped the girls off at the Medical College Junction and left on the pretext that there were certain things to be done before they could be safely admitted back to the Social Security home. The girls were virtually stranded.

By then, a missing case was registered in the Poojappura Police Station, under which the Social Security Complex fell. Realising that they had been duped, the girls got on a bus and reached the Museum Junction, where they were apprehended by the police. On questioning, the girls spoke of the man who impersonated a police officer and, on further questioning, revealed the sexual abuse.

Special public prosecutor R S Vijayamohan appeared for the prosecution. The case was investigated by Poojappura sub-inspector Praveen V P and Medical College sub-inspector Priya A L. Twenty-one witnesses were cross-examined and the prosecution produced 42 documents and eight exhibits.