'A record punishment': Kerala man sentenced to 142 years in jail for sexually assaulting minor girl

A local court in Kerala sentenced a 41-year-old man to 142 years of jail for raping a minor girl for two years.

Pathanamthitta: A local court here on Friday sentenced a 41-year-old man to 142 years of rigorous imprisonment (RI) for raping a minor girl for two years. Pathanamthitta Additional District and Sessions Court (Principal POCSO) judge Jayakumar John sentenced Anandan P R to 142 years of jail and imposed a fine of Rs 5 lakh on the convict, a release issued by the district police said on Friday. This is the record punishment awarded to a POCSO case accused in the district, the release said. He, however, would have to undergo a total of 60 years in jail, the release said.

The man, who is a relative of the 10-year-old victim, was convicted under various sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and IPC Section 506 (criminal intimidation), it said.

The court said the accused used to sexually assault the child brutally during 2019-2021.

He committed the offence during his stay with the family, the release added.