Neighbour sentenced to double life imprisonment for sexually assaulting toddler in Kannur

Kannur: A man has been sentenced to two life imprisonments and another 10 years of rigorous imprisonment for sexually assaulting a toddler, who was his neighbour.

Taliparamba POCSO fast-track court judge C Mujeeb Rahman on Monday found Sunil T (47) guilty of three charges of aggravated penetrative sexual assault. The court also fined him Rs 2 lakh.

Sunil, who was out on bail after spending 76 days in judicial custody, was arrested and sent to central prison after the verdict.

The crime happened on August 6, 2016, when Sunil was 40 years old and his victim two years and a half, said advocate Sherymol Jose, the public prosecutor for sex crimes against children in Taliparamba.

The case was investigated by inspector K E Premachandran of Taliparamba police station.

According to the prosecution, Sunil, a mason by profession, had assaulted the girl multiple times, causing grievous hurt to the sexual organ of the child.

Judge Rahman sentenced Sunil to life imprisonment for the remainder of his natural life and slapped a fine of Rs 1 lakh under Section 376 (2) (i) of the IPC. If the fine is not paid, he will have to undergo another six months of rigorous imprisonment, the judge ruled.

Sunil was also sentenced to another rigorous life imprisonment and fined Rs 50,000 under Section 5 (i) of the POCSO Act for committing penetrative sexual assault and causing grievous injury to the sexual organs of the child.

If the fine is not paid, he will have to serve four months of rigorous imprisonment.

The court also sentenced Sunil to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment under section 5 (m) of the POCSO Act for committing penetrative sexual assault on a child below 12 years. He has been fined Rs 50,000 under this section.

If the fine is not paid, he will have to serve another four months of rigorous imprisonment.

He was also found guilty under Section 3 (b) of the POCSO Act but no separate sentence was imposed because it overlapped with Section 376 (2) (i) of the IPC, said the public prosecutor.

If the convict pays the fine, it should be given to the survivor as compensation, ordered by the court.