HYDERABAD: A POCSO court in Rajendranagar on Wednesday convicted a 52-year-old man for sexually assaulting an 11-year-old girl in 2023 and sentenced him to five years of rigorous imprisonment.
The convict, Satyanarayana Manmari alias Narayana Chari, a car painter by profession, was found guilty of assaulting the minor, who was then a Class 7 student at a government school.
According to the prosecution, in November 2022, the victim was standing outside her residence when the accused noticed her. Taking advantage of her parents’ absence, he gave her Rs 10 to buy a chocolate. After she returned, he called her into his room and touched her private parts. The frightened victim immediately left the house but did not inform anyone out of fear.
On a subsequent occasion, the accused again took her to his house and forced her to touch his body. She screamed loudly in fear and fled.
The matter came to light during a ‘SHE Team’ awareness programme conducted at the victim’s school, where the minor narrated her ordeal. The SHE Team immediately facilitated the family in lodging a formal complaint at the Rajendranagar police station.
Following an investigation, police submitted a chargesheet before the court. After hearing the arguments, the court convicted the accused under Sections 506 and 354-A(1) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), and Section 9(1) read with Section 10 of the POCSO Act. The court also awarded compensation of Rs 50,000 to the victim.
