HYDERABAD: A local court on Tuesday awarded a tea vendor life imprisonment for raping a 12-year-old girl at Saifabad in 2018.
The court at Nampally directed the convict, 45, to undergo life imprisonment besides paying a penalty of Rs 10,000. He was convicted under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
“The accused is sentenced to undergo imprisonment for life, which shall mean imprisonment for reminder of natural life of that person, and to pay fine of Rs 10,000,” the judge said in the order.
The offence took place in 2018 and assistant commissioner of police (Saifabad) Venugopal Reddy had filed the charge sheet. The survivor’s mother lodged a complaint stating that her daughter was sexually abused by a tea vendor at a real estate office.
The minor was taken to Bharosa Centre, where her statement was recorded besides her medical examination was done. The investigation officer collected evidence besides the statement of eye-witnesses. The court, after conducting the trial, convicted the accused and sentenced him to life imprisonment.
(The victim's identity has not been revealed to protect her privacy as per Supreme court directives on cases related to sexual assault)
