The Manjeri Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act court on Saturday sentenced a 29-year-old man, Unais, son of Hussain, to 87 years of rigorous imprisonment (RI) and fined Rs 4.60 lakh for sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl. Unais, a resident of Kooliyodan House, Pullancheri, will face an additional eight months of imprisonment if he fails to pay the fine.

The incident pertaining to the case happened between May 1, 2020, and December 31, 2022, when Unais repeatedly entered the survivor’s home unlawfully, threatened her, and committed multiple acts of penetrative sexual assault. He further intimidated the victim by threatening to leak her nude photographs online if she revealed the abuse. The crime came to light when the survivor's family reported the matter to the Manjeri police station.

Delivering the judgment, Judge A M Ashraf sentenced Unais to 40 years of rigorous imprisonment under Section 5(l) read with 6(1) of the POCSO Act, along with a fine of Rs 2 lakh, with an additional three months of simple imprisonment in case of default. Under Section 376(3) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), he was sentenced to another 40 years of RI and fined Rs 2 lakh, with three additional months of simple imprisonment if the fine is not paid.

Furthermore, the court imposed a five-year term of RI under Section 450 of the IPC, accompanied by a fine of Rs 50,000 and one month of simple imprisonment in case of default, as well as two years of rigorous imprisonment under Section 506(i) of the IPC, with a fine of Rs 10,000 and one month of simple imprisonment for non-payment. The court ruled out additional sentencing under IPC Section 376(2)(n), as the charges were already addressed under the POCSO Act.

The total fine amount is to be paid to the survivor. Additionally, the District Legal Services Authority was instructed to provide further compensation under the Victim Compensation Scheme.

Inspector Riyas Chackeri, assisted by Assistant Sub-Inspector Sajeev, led the investigation. Special Public Prosecutor A Somasundaran represented the case, supported by Assistant Sub-Inspector Salma N from the Prosecution Liaison Wing. The prosecution presented 13 witnesses and 18 documents to secure the conviction. Following the judgment, Unais was transferred to Tavanur Central Jail to serve his sentence.