POCSO court sentences man to 20 years in prison for raping minor stepdaughter

A POCSO court in Mangaluru has sentenced a man to 20 years imprisonment for raping his minor stepdaughter, at Pavoor in Ullal police station limits of Dakshina Kannada district.The convict, Ashwath, was booked last year following a complaint by the survivors aunt.Based on the complaint, the womens police station here filed a case under IPC Sections 376 rape, 323 voluntarily causing hurt and 506 criminal intimidation and Section 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences POCSO Act.The chargesheet said Ashwath was the second husband of Mallika alias Rajivi.

A POCSO court in Mangaluru has sentenced a man to 20 years' imprisonment for raping his minor stepdaughter, at Pavoor in Ullal police station limits of Dakshina Kannada district.

The convict, Ashwath, was booked last year following a complaint by the survivor’s aunt.

Based on the complaint, the women’s police station here filed a case under IPC Sections 376 (rape), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) and 506 (criminal intimidation) and Section 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

The chargesheet said Ashwath was the second husband of Mallika alias Rajivi. Mallika had a girl child, a minor, from her first marriage. On July 26, 2022, at around 3.30 am, the complainant alleged that Ashwath had sexually assaulted the minor girl and then threatened to kill her if she disclosed the matter to anyone.

Ashwath committed the crime while his pregnant wife was away at the hospital for delivery.

After investigation and medical tests of both the survivor and the accused, a chargesheet was filed by the police. The additional district and sessions FTSC II (POCSO) court on Wednesday convicted the accused and sentenced him to 20 years of imprisonment.