Mangaluru: In a landmark judgement under the POCSO Act, a 30-year-old man from Dakshina Kannada was sentenced on Tuesday to 20 years in prison by a Mangaluru court for raping a 16-year-old girl in May 2023 and threatening her with a video recording of the assault.

The convict, Mansoor alias Mohammad Mansoor alias Zabeer, was also fined ₹50,000 for the rape and ₹5,000 for criminal intimidation, along with an additional one-year imprisonment.

The case was registered at Mangaluru Women’s Police Station on December 23, 2023, under IPC Sections 363, 376(2)(n), 376(3), 506, and POCSO Section 6.

Police said Mansoor remained absconding for nearly eight months before being arrested on July 2 this year. A detailed charge-sheet was filed after Inspector Gururaj and his successor Rajendra B. conducted a thorough investigation, gathering key digital and testimonial evidence.

The Fast Track Special Court (FTSC-2), presided over by Judge Manu KS, delivered the judgement after hearing arguments by Special Public Prosecutor Sahanadevi Boluru and Government Advocate Badrinath.

The verdict has been welcomed by child rights advocates and police officials as a message of zero tolerance towards crimes against children.

“This case reaffirms our commitment to protect minors and deliver swift justice,” said the Mangaluru Police Commissioner, adding that coordination between investigating officers and prosecutors was crucial to the outcome.