Kavaratti (Lakshadweep), Jul 21 A court in Lakshadweep on Tuesday convicted and sentenced a 37-year-old man to a cumulative 40 years imprisonment for sexually assaulting a minor boy, a close relative, back in 2022.
Kavaratti District and Sessions Judge Jyothi V sentenced the accused, the younger brother of the child's father's brother-in-law, to varying jail terms under the provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act and the IPC for a total of 40 years.
However, the accused will have to serve only 20 years as it is the highest punishment given to him and the varying jail terms have to be served concurrently.
While sentencing the accused, the court noted that offences against children "have become a matter of serious concern even in the Union Territory of Lakshadweep" where the close-knit nature of society often results in kids being exposed to abuse at the hands of persons known to them.
"The court owes a duty not only to the individual victim but also to the society to ensure that children are protected from such exploitation and that offenders are dealt with in a manner which inspires public confidence in the administration of criminal justice," it said.
The court declined to grant any leniency in sentencing in view of the age of the victim, who was less than 12 years of age in 2022, the relationship between him and the accused, the breach of trust and the repeated nature of the abuse.
It also imposed a fine of Rs 1.2 lakh on the accused and directed that if the amount was realised from him, Rs one lakh should be given to the victim.
The court also considered the tender age of the victim, the repeated sexual abuse suffered by him and the trauma he disclosed during the counselling, to recommend that he be awarded compensation of Rs two lakh under the victim compensation scheme.
The compensation shall be in addition to the fine amount, the court said.
According to the prosecution, while the victim was playing with his friends, the accused came there and took the boy to his house, on the pretext of collecting some food items for a roadside eatery, and sexually assaulted him.
He had again sexually assaulted the boy on a different date, the prosecution had told the court.
When the child became inattentive in class and weak in studies, the parents took him to a psychiatrist and during the counselling sessions, the boy revealed the sexual assault.
After hearing the arguments of the prosecution and the defence counsel, the court convicted the accused for various offences under the POCSO Act and the IPC.
