CHENNAI: A special court for Pocso cases in Thiruvallur on Wednesday sentenced a 50-year-old man to 39 years of imprisonment for the penetrative sexual assault of his 13-year-old twin nieces in 2023. He has to serve the sentence consecutively.
According to the prosecution, the incident took place when the victims’ parents had left the twin girls at home. Learning that the children were alone, the man, a resident of Poonamallee, entered the house and sexually assaulted them.
The matter came to light on April 6, 2023, after a complaint was lodged with the Poonamallee All Women Police Station. The police registered a case and subsequently arrested the man, following which he was remanded in judicial custody.
After a thorough investigation, the police filed a chargesheet before the Thiruvallur District Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Special Court.
On Wednesday, holding that the charges against the accused were proven beyond reasonable doubt, the judge convicted him under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the POCSO Act.
The court awarded 10 years of imprisonment each under Section 376(3) of the IPC, Section 5(l) r/w 6 (penetrative sexual assault by a relative), and Section 5(n) r/w 6 of the POCSO Act. He was also sentenced to seven years of imprisonment under Section 9(n) r/w 10 of the POCSO Act and two years under Section 506(i) (criminal intimidation) of the IPC.
The judge ordered that the sentences would run separately, amounting to a total of 39 years of jail time. A cumulative fine of Rs 45,000 was also imposed on the convict.
