Mangaluru: Dakshina Kannada Principal District and Sessions Court on Monday sentenced a 50-year-old man to life imprisonment and a penalty of Rs 50,000 on finding him guilty of sexually assaulting a 16-year-old differently-abled girl.

This is the first case of life sentence by the Principal District and Sessions court, Mangaluru, since it was designated as special court for Prevention of Children from Sexual Offences (POSCO) Act in 2013.

MG Uma, judge of special court for the trial of cases under POCSO Act, had convicted Sundara on November 21. The judge punished Sundara, a resident of Kelinjar in Kuppepadavu in Mangalore taluk, who was held guilty for raping the girl of same village five times. Sundara had raped the girl at her house on June 11, 12 and 13 and later, in his house on July 10 and 11 in 2013. Bajpe police had registered the case based on a complaint filed by Childline Mangalore on August 23, 2013 and later Sundara was arrested the next day.

The special court for the trial of cases under POCSO Act awarded life imprisonment and a fine of Rs 50,000 under Section 6 of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. Meanwhile, the convict has also has been punished with one year of rigorous imprisonment and Rs 1,000 fine; and five years of rigorous imprisonment with Rs 5,000 fine under IPC Sections 448 (trespass), 366A (procuration of minor girl) respectively. The convict has to pay Rs 56,000 as penalty, wherein Rs 50,000 will be paid as compensation to the victim. If Sundara fails to pay the penalty, then he will have to undergo one more year of simple imprisonment..

The court also has directed that the victim may apply for compensation from the District Legal Services Authority, if the convict does not pay the fine. The court had delivered the verdict after hearing 16 witnesses including the Childline members.