Youth gets 25 years, ₹1.10 lakh fine for sexual assault of minor girl resulting in pregnancy

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

The 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’ imprisonment and imposed a fine of ₹1.10 lakh for sexually assaulting the minor girl, who subsequently became pregnant.

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

According to the prosecution, the accused sexually assaulted the girl on multiple occasions during 2021 and 2022. The girl subsequently became pregnant, following which the matter came to the notice of the police and a case was registered.

Meenangadi police Inspector M Sanalraj initially investigated the case. However, after the case was registered, the accused allegedly fled to the Gulf to evade arrest, according to the police. The police subsequently issued a lookout notice against him.

The accused was arrested in 2024 after he arrived at Calicut International Airport, Karipur, from the Gulf.

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.