Man given 30-year RI in Pocso case

Belagavi: The additional district and sessions court and special Pocso court on Tuesday sentenced a 28-year-old man to 30 years of rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh for the sexual assault of a minor girl.The convict is Basavaraj alias Suraj Kadappa Timmanavar, resident of Kurani in Hukkeri taluk. The court held him guilty in connection with an incident that occurred on Sept 30, 2023, when he lured the survivor to the Haragapur hills and sexually assaulted her. He also recorded a video of the crime and used it to mentally harass and threaten her.Following a complaint lodged by the survivor's family, a case was registered by ASI BS Madar at Sankeshwar police station. The investigation was conducted by inspector SM Awaji, who later filed a chargesheet before the court.During the course of the trial, the court examined eight witnesses and took into consideration 66 documents and three material objects as evidence. After a detailed assessment of the oral and documentary evidence, judge CM Pushpalata concluded that the prosecution conclusively proved the charges against the accused.In addition to the prison term and fine, the court directed the accused to pay Rs 4 lakh as compensation to the survivor through the District Legal Services Authority. Govt prosecutor LV Patil led the prosecution.