20 yrs jail for sexual assault on minor

Ongole: In her judgment on Wednesday, Judge K Shailaja of the POCSO Court in Ongole has sentenced a 28-year-old man to 20 years imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 10, 000 for sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl from Kothapatanam mandal.

The accused, Battula Chanti alias Wilson, son of Ratnaja from Alluru village, had befriended the victim, who regularly attended church services with her family every Sunday. Working as a microphone operator at the church, the accused developed an acquaintance with the minor and manipulated her with false promises of love and marriage. The assault occurred in January 2019 when the victim’s parents had gone to church, leaving her alone at their Alluru residence.

The accused repeatedly threatened to kill the victim and her parents if she revealed the incident to anyone.

When the girl fell ill weeks later and was taken to a private hospital in Ongole, doctors confirmed she was pregnant. Upon learning the truth, the victim’s parents filed a complaint at Kothapatanam Police Station on August 6, 2019. Sub-Inspector M Srinivasa Rao registered the case, and then-DSP of Ongole, KVVNV Prasad, conducted the investigation, leading to the arrest of the accused and remand.

The court also ordered Rs 3 lakh compensation each for the victim and her child through the District Legal Services Authority. District SP Damodar emphasised that such verdicts should serve as lessons for sexual offenders and announced ongoing awareness programmes in educational institutions about personal safety, POCSO laws, and women’s rights.

He appreciated the POCSO monitoring team and Special Public Prosecutor Gottipati Srinivasa Rao for their diligent efforts in proceeding with the trial with proper evidence presentation.