Representative image of a crime scene.
Credit: iStock Photo
Mangaluru: A 20 year-old youth was declared guilty of sexually assaulting a minor in an empty coach of a train and sentenced to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment by the Additional District and Sessions Judge FTSC-II Maanu K S on Monday.
The convicted, Abutahir alias Shazil, a resident of B Kasaba village in Bantwal taluk was also ordered to pay a fine of Rs 50,000 for sexually assaulting a minor survivor.
Special Public Prosecutor K Badrinath Nairy said Abutahir was in contact with the survivor over phone and on June 22, 2023, he has asked her to meet him at Madanthyar.
When the victim survivor met Abutahir at Madanthyar, the latter took her to Mangaluru Central Railway Station in order to travel to Goa. After entering the railway station, he took her into an vacant coach of a train on the platform number three and sexually assaulted her on the train seat between 11 pm and 12 am.
When the minor did not return to her home, a missing case was registered at Punjalkatte police station. Later, at around 12 am, the survivor contacted her mother over phone from the railway station. The police, when informed by the mother, rushed to the railway station. The police rescued the girl and arrested Abutahir.
A case was registered under Sections 363, 376(1), 376(3) of IPC and the provisions of the POCSO Act at Punjalkatte police station. Then police inspector Shivakumar B and Nagesh K had conducted the investigation and filed a chargesheet at the court. The court had examined 17 witnesses and 31 documents.
The court sentenced Abutahir to 20 years of imprisonment and slapped a fine of Rs 50,000 under Section 376(3) of the IPC and Section 4(2) of the POCSO Act. Further, under Section 363, he was sentenced to three years of simple imprisonment and slapped with a fine of Rs 10,000. The court has directed that Rs 50,000 be given to the survivor.
In addition, the court also directed the District Legal Services Authority to pay a compensation of Rs 1.50 lakh to the survivor, the special public prosecutor said.