A special court here on Saturday sentenced a man to 15 years of rigorous imprisonment for sexually assaulting a minor girl at Perumpazhuthoor in Thiruvananthapuram.

Kattakada Fast Track Special Court Judge V. Vinod sentenced Kannan alias Arun to 15 years of rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of ₹70,000.

Though the court awarded prison terms totalling 20 years after convicting him under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, the sentences will run concurrently, resulting in an effective jail term of 15 years.

The court also granted the convict the benefit of set-off for the period he remained in judicial custody from April 18, 2023, to June 15, 2023.

During the trial, the prosecution examined 17 witnesses and produced seven material objects before the court.

According to the prosecution, on April 18, 2023, the accused trespassed into the victim’s house when she was alone and sexually assaulted her.

The Kanjiramkulam police registered the case and arrested the accused soon after the incident.