On January 4, a POCSO court in Manjeri, Kerala, handed down a sentence of 87 years of rigorous imprisonment to Unais, a 29-year-old resident of Kooliyodan House, Pullancheri, for sexually assaulting a 16-year-old minor girl. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 4.6 lakh, with an additional eight months of imprisonment if the fine is not paid.
The assault occurred between May 1, 2020, and December 31, 2022, during which time Unais repeatedly assaulted the minor on several occasions. He entered the girl’s house unlawfully, threatened her, and committed multiple acts of penetrative sexual assault. Unais also threatened to leak objectionable photographs of the victim online if she reported the assault.
As reported in OpIndia, the matter came to light when the victim informed her family about the assault and a complaint was filed against Unais at the Manjeri Police Station. A case was registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
The investigation was led by Inspector Riyas Chackeri and Sub-Inspector Sajeev, with Special Public Prosecutor A Somasundaran representing the state. The prosecution presented 13 witnesses and 18 documents in court.
The judgment was delivered by a single-judge bench of the Manjeri POCSO court, led by Justice AM Ashraf. Unais was sentenced to 40 years of rigorous imprisonment under Section 5(l) of the POCSO Act, along with a fine of Rs 2 lakh. An additional three months of simple imprisonment will be added if the fine is not paid.
Furthermore, Unais was sentenced to another 40 years of rigorous imprisonment and fined Rs 2 lakh under Section 376(3) of the IPC. An additional three months of simple imprisonment will be added if the fine is not paid. A five-year term of rigorous imprisonment was also imposed under Section 450 of the IPC, accompanied by a fine of Rs 50,000 and one month of simple imprisonment in case of default.
Additionally, Unais was sentenced to two years of rigorous imprisonment under Section 506(I) of the IPC, with a fine of Rs 10,000 and one month of simple imprisonment for non-payment. The court directed that the fine be paid to the victim’s family, and the victim will also receive compensation under the Victim Compensation Scheme by the District Legal Service Authority. Unais has been transferred to Tavanur Central Jail to serve his sentence.
