Kozhikode (Kerala) | A Kerala court on Saturday sentenced a 55-year-old autorickshaw driver to a total of 11 years rigorous imprisonment for repeatedly sexually harassing and molesting a minor schoolgirl here between 2022 and 2024.

Nadapuram Fast Track Special Court Judge Devan K Menon sentenced the accused -- Sajeevan -- to varying jail terms for offences under the IPC and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act for a cumulative 11 years, special public prosecutor (SPP) Manoj Aroor said.

As the sentences have to be served concurrently and the highest of the punishments given to Sajeevan was five years, he will have to only serve that, the SPP said. Besides that, the court also imposed a fine of Rs 20,000 on the accused.

The prosecutor said that the accused used to ferry the victim to school and back in his autorickshaw.

From 2022 to 2024, he sexually harassed and molested the child several times while taking her to school, the SPP said.

After some time, the girl told her parents who lodged a complaint with the police, the prosecutor said.

SPP Aroor said that 12 witnesses were examined and 21 documents submitted by the prosecution in support of its case against the accused.