A local court in Hyderabad, on August 24, awarded jail terms to a father and son duo holding them guilty of charges of sexual assault on a minor girl in Chaitanyapur police station area of Rachakonda Commissionerate.
Harisha, the special judge for Trial and Disposal of Cases under POCSO Act of Ranga Reddy district, sentenced Medipally Bharath Kumar Reddy, 29, a student of law, to undergo 20-year rigorous imprisonment, convicting him of the crime under Section 42 of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act. The victim used to work in his house as maid. The accused was also awarded jail terms under Sections of other laws such as Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, Bonded Labour Abolition Act and Juvenile Justice Act.
His father Medipally Sudhakar Reddy, 59, an advocate, was convicted under various Sections of law, including Section 10 of POCSO Act. He was sentenced to undergo seven-year rigorous imprisonment for conviction under the POCSO Act. In year 2016, a social activist Maheshwari approached Rachakonda police that she learnt about the sexual assault on a minor girl engaged as labourer in the house of lawyer Sudhakar Reddy.
After inquiring into the allegations, police arrested the advocate and his son. The then L.B. Nagar Assistant Commissioner of Police Venugopal Rao investigated into the case and filed charge sheet.
