Kozhikode (Keralam) |A POCSO court in Keralam on Tuesday sentenced a 64-year-old man to 20 years in prison for sexually assaulting a minor girl at his house near Vadakara in 2023.

Nadapuram Fast Track Special Court Judge Devan K Menon sentenced the convict to terms totalling 25-and-a-half years for various offences under the IPC and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, special public prosecutor (SPP) Manoj Aroor said.

As the sentences are to run concurrently and the longest term imposed is 20 years, the convict will serve 20 years in prison, Aroor said.

The court imposed a fine of Rs 1.5 lakh on Abdul Razak, the SPP said.

According to the prosecution, the incident occurred on October 17, 2023, when Razak called the nine-year-old girl, who was cycling to a relative's house, into his home and sexually assaulted her.

No one else was present in the house at the time, the prosecutor said.

When the child returned home, her mother noticed her injuries and took her to a government hospital, following which she lodged a complaint with the police.

However, before the police could take action, an angry mob reached the accused's house and assaulted him, the prosecutor said.

Razak's wife subsequently filed a case in connection with the mob attack, naming more than 18 residents as accused, he said.

The accused, who was injured in the attack, was taken into custody by the police the same day.

The prosecution produced 23 documents and examined 18 witnesses during the trial to establish the accused's guilt, the SPP said.