HYDERABAD: A POCSO court in Medchal has sentenced a 62-year-old man to life imprisonment after DNA evidence conclusively linked him to the sexual assault of a 17-year-old girl with a mental disability.
The convict, Shaik Sadaq, had been living separately after his family reportedly abandoned him due to his habits.
According to the prosecution, on January 4, 2024, the victim, a Class VII student, left home for school and was waiting at the Uppal bus stand when the accused approached her. Claiming to know her parents, he allegedly lured her with false assurances and took her to a room in New Padmavathi Colony, Uppal.
The accused allegedly mixed alcohol in a glucose drink, forced her to consume it and later sexually assaulted her.
The victim’s mother later told police that her daughter, who has a mental disability, returned home in the evening with mud on her school uniform and head. Upon questioning, the girl narrated the incident.
Based on witness statements and CCTV footage collected from the area, police identified the accused, who was working as a watchman. Investigators subsequently gathered and sent material evidence for forensic examination.
According to the DNA report issued by the Telangana Forensic Science Laboratory (TGFSL), seminal stains found on the victim’s clothing and biological samples matched the DNA profile of Shaik Sadaq, conclusively establishing his involvement in the crime.
