A 34-year-old man who was convicted for sexually assaulting a physically challenged minor girl was sentenced to life imprisonment till death by a POCSO Court (Speed Trial Court) in Vijayawada on Tuesday.
The court also imposed a fine of ₹30,000 on the convict and ordered the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) to provide financial aid of ₹5 lakh to the survivor as compensation.
According to the NTR district police, the convict, identified as Gandham Ramesh, a driver from Kurnool district, sexually assaulted a 13-year-old girl with speech and hearing impairment near the CVR flyover under Kothapeta police station limits on January 17, 2023.
Following a complaint lodged by the girl’s foster parents, the police registered a case under Sections 363 and 376 of the IPC and Section 6 of the POCSO Act. An investigation was taken up immediately.
Under the State police’s inititative ‘Conviction-based trial monitoring’, police ensured a speedy trial of the case and the accused was convicted and awarded jail term within eight months from the date of occurrence of the crime.
