The repeated sexual assault came to light when the child's grandmother caught the grandfather in the act
A Sessions Court in Kerala on Monday convicted a 64-year old man of repeated sexual assault of his grandson. The court sentenced him to 73 years of imprisonment for the offence he committed in 2019 when the victim was seven years old.
Special Judge (POCSO-Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) T G Varghese said the sentences would run concurrently and therefore, the convict would be serving a jail-term of 20 years.
The Fast-Track Special Court in Idukki district sentenced the convict to 20 years each for the repeated sexual assault of a child, penetrative sexual assault of a minor below 12 years of age and penetrative sexual assault of a minor by a relative under the POCSO Act.
Each of the offences under the Act carry a minimum punishment of 20 years imprisonment and the maximum is death. Besides, the grandfather was sentenced to 10 years in jail for the offence of unnatural sex under section 377 of the IPC and for three years' imprisonment for cruelty towards a child as provided under the Juvenile Justice Act.
A fine of Rs 1.6 lakh was also imposed on the convict. Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) Saneesh S S, who appeared for the State, had urged the court to impose the maximum sentence -- of death -- on the accused. But, the court did not impose it by saying some leniency is shown considering the family background of the accused (grandfather).
The repeated sexual assault came to light when the child's grandmother caught the grandfather in the act, the prosecutor told PTI. She had informed the police and the grandfather was arrested. A case against him for various offences under the POCSO Act, IPC and JJ Act in November 2019 was registered. The prosecution case was based on the victim's statement and the eyewitness account of the grandmother and other circumstantial evidence.
The child, in his statement, had said that he was being sexually assaulted by the grandfather for the past several months. But, during the trial, the victim's father said the complaint was lodged by the grandmother over some personal enmity with her husband as the two always used to fight. This led to the prosecution declaring him as a hostile witness as he supported the defence, the SPP said.
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