Man sentenced to 83-yr RI for assaulting 11-yr-old niece

T'puram: Thiruvananthapuram fast-track special court Judge Anju Meera Birla on Tuesday sentenced a 40-year-old man to 83 years of rigorous imprisonment and fined Rs 1 lakh for sexually assaulting his 11-year-old niece. The convict has been identified as Manu.The court held that if the fine was not paid, Manu would serve an additional four years of imprisonment. It directed that the fine and any compensation awarded by legal services authority be paid to the survivor. The incident occurred in April 2021, when the convict's wife was admitted to hospital for childbirth. With his wife in the hospital, Manu's 11-year-old niece, who studied with his daughter, was staying at the family home. On the day of the crime, the survivor was sleeping alongside the convict's daughter when Manu moved his daughter aside and committed the assault. Later that day, he assaulted the survivor again while she was playing with his daughter. The survivor, frightened, did not disclose the incidents until they emerged during a counselling session at her school. Special public prosecutor R S Vijay Mohan appeared for prosecution. The case was investigated by Medical College CI P Harilal and SI Priya A L. TNN