An Assam man living in Kerala was sentenced to 82 years of imprisonment by the court for repeatedly raping and impregnating his teenage step-daughter on Thursday.
The victim, aged 13 years, hailed from West Bengal and was raped over a span of five days in the incident allegedly took place two years ago. After the crime, the girl was threatened with a knife by her stepfather at their residence near Kuruppampady, PTI reported.
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Subsequently, it was revealed that the minor was pregnant, Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) Sidhu said, adding that the pregnancy was terminated through medical procedures.
The individual has been convicted of four distinct offences and received a 20-year sentence for each offence under the provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses (POCSO) Act. Additionally, he was handed a two-year sentence under the Juvenile Justice Act.
Considering all four offences collectively, Perumbavoor Fast Track Special Court Judge Dinesh M Pillai imposed a cumulative sentence of 82 years. The maximum jail term the individual is to serve for his crimes is 20 years.
According to SPP Sindhu, since the sentences must be served concurrently and the maximum jail term assigned to the man is 20 years, he will ultimately spend 20 years in prison. Additionally, the court imposed a fine of Rs 1.1 lakh on the convict, directing that it be paid as compensation to the victim if the amount is recovered from the man.