Kerala man gets 22 years of rigorous imprisonment for abducting, sexually assaulting toddler
The accused also received 10 years of imprisonment each for abduction and attempt to murder, and one year for outraging the modesty of the child under the IPC.
Thiruvananthapuram, A court here on Friday sentenced a 41-year-old man to 22 years of rigorous imprisonment for abducting and sexually assaulting an 18-month-old girl belonging to a nomadic family at Chakka in February this year.
Thiruvananthapuram Additional District and Sessions Court Judge M P Shibu found the accused, Hasan Kutty alias Kabeer, a native of Edava near Ayiroor, guilty under multiple charges.
Although the court handed out sentences under various counts along with a fine of ₹72,000, it ordered that the sentences run concurrently, fixing the effective jail term at 22 years.
Public Prosecutor Kattayikonam J K Ajith Prasad said the court awarded 22 years imprisonment each for rape and attempt to murder under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act.
Kutty also received 10 years of imprisonment each for abduction and attempt to murder, and one year for outraging the modesty of the child under the IPC.
According to the prosecution, the crime took place on the night of February 19, 2024 when Kutty abducted the toddler as she slept with her parents on the roadside near Chakka. Her parents, migrant honey collectors from Hyderabad, were living on the streets.
He took the child to a secluded area near a railway track behind BrahMos Aerospace Pvt Ltd, where he sexually assaulted her and abandoned her, believing she had died.
Police launched a search following a complaint from the parents and found the child unconscious in a bushy area the next evening.
She was rushed to the hospital and survived.
Investigators scanned footage from over 100 CCTV cameras before tracing the accused. CCTV images near BrahMos Aerospace and scientific evidence proved crucial in securing a conviction, Prasad said.
During the four-month trial, the prosecution examined 41 witnesses, 62 documents and 11 material objects.
Kutty, who attempted to evade arrest by travelling through Kollam, Aluva and Palani and shaving his head, was finally nabbed in Chinnakkada, Kollam, nearly two weeks later.
Police said he had been involved in eight previous criminal cases, including another child abuse case registered at Ayiroor police station in 2022.
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