VISAKHAPATNAM: A POCSO court in Visakhapatnam convicted a man charged with molesting his minor daughter and sentenced him to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment. The convict was slapped with a penalty of Rs 100 (One hundred rupees), and in case he failed to deposit the amount, he would be sentenced to simple imprisonment for a month.
The Alluri Sitarama Raju (ASR) police termed the judgment remarkable and said this was the first time a POCSO court in Vizag gave such a of judgement. The survivor was granted Rs 1.50 lakh as compensation, which would be paid by the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA), Visakhapatnam.
In a statement, Alluri Sitarama Raju district police said the case was registered in 2019 under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 at Chinthapalli Police Station. The victim was 13 years old at the time. The then Assistant Superintendent of Police (Chintapalli) investigated the case. The accused was arrested and sent to prison.
The accused was booked under relevant sections of the IPC as well as under Sections 4 and 6 of the POCSO Act.The trial was conducted before Special Judge K Rama Srinivasa Rao. Arguments on behalf of the police were presented by public prosecutor Karanam Krishna. Incidentally, Satish Kumar, who investigated the case as ASP, is currently the Superintendent of Police of ASR district.
The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act is gender-neutral and prioritises the child’s best interests at all stages and well-being in terms of physical, emotional, cognitive, and social development. The Act imposes heavy penalties that are graded based on the seriousness of the offence, with a maximum punishment of life imprisonment.