Kalaburagi: A special court under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act in Kalaburagi has sentenced a stepfather to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of ₹25,000 for sexually assaulting his 13-year-old stepdaughter.
Additional District and Sessions Judge (Special POCSO Court) S.L. Chavan convicted the accused under Section 6 of the POCSO Act, awarding 20 years of rigorous imprisonment along with a fine of ₹25,000. The court also ruled that in default of payment of the fine, the convict will undergo an additional six months of simple imprisonment.
The court further directed the Legal Services Authority to pay ₹5 lakh as compensation to the minor survivor within one month.
Details of the Case
According to the case, the incident occurred on the night of June 14, 2025, in a locality under the Suburban police station limits. After his wife fell asleep, the stepfather allegedly took the girl to another room and raped her.
The incident came to light when the wife woke up and found her daughter in her husband's room. On questioning, the girl told her mother that her stepfather had sexually assaulted her five or six times in her absence. The mother later lodged a complaint at the Suburban police station under the POCSO Act.
Investigation and Trial
Police Inspector Santosh L. Tattepalli investigated the case and filed the chargesheet before the court. After the trial, Special POCSO Court Judge S.L. Chavan convicted and sentenced the accused.
Special Public Prosecutor Shantaveer B. Tuppad represented the prosecution during the proceedings.
