Daijiworld Media Network - Moodbidri
Moodbidri, Mar 5: The Additional District and Sessions Court FTSC-1 (POCSO) has convicted Asif (43), a resident of Kesarugadde in Padumarnadu, Moodbidri, in a case of sexual assault against a minor student. The court has sentenced him to five years of simple imprisonment and a fine of Rs 20,000.
The incident occurred on the evening of February 10, 2019, near Marpady Jainpet, when a class 10 student was waiting with her classmate after special classes. The student's mother had arranged for a young man from the neighborhood to escort her daughter home on his bike. As the student and her classmate were about to leave, Asif, a distant relative of the student, intervened. He allegedly stopped her, questioned her association with a person of a different religion, slapped her, and defamed her. Subsequently, he sexually harassed her and physically assaulted both the student and the young man.
A case was registered at the Moodbidri police station. The then inspector Dejappa filed a charge sheet after an investigation. Judge Vijay Devaraj, after reviewing the evidence, sentenced Asif to five years of simple imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 10,000. In case of non-payment of the fine, he will serve an additional three months of simple imprisonment, one year of simple imprisonment, and three years of simple imprisonment. An additional fine of Rs 10,000 was also imposed.
The court has directed that Rs 10,000 from the fine be given as compensation to the victim. The legal services authority has further directed that Rs 1 lac be provided as compensation to the minor student. Special Government Prosecutor Sahanadevi Bolur argued on behalf of the victim.
It was revealed that Asif has multiple criminal cases registered against him, including two in Mangaluru Women's police station, two in Ullal police station, one in Urva police station, and one in Moodbidri police station. He is also implicated in cases related to rape, drug consumption, and sale, which are currently under investigation. He is currently in judicial custody in connection with these various cases.