The court sentenced a man to 13 years RI for assaulting a minor

A special Thiruvananthapuram Fast Track Court on Tuesday sentenced a 35-year-old man to 13 years’ rigorous imprisonment and a fine of ₹40,000 for abducting and sexually assaulting a minor girl on the false pretext of being her father’s friend.

Special Judge Anju Meera Birla pronounced the sentence on Saddam Hussain alias Kichamani of Pandalam. If the convict fails to pay the fine, he will have to undergo another three years and nine months of imprisonment.

The court further ordered that the fine collected, along with compensation from the District Legal Services Office, be paid to the survivor.

According to the prosecution led by Special Public Prosecutor RS Vijay Mohan, the incident took place on January 24, 2025 at around 7:45 am when the survivor and her younger brother were going to school. The accused came to them on a two-wheeler posing as their father’s friend, offered to drop them at school and convinced the children to board the vehicle. After dropping off the younger brother halfway, the perpetrator lured the girl into the store on the pretext of buying her chocolate.

He then took her to a secluded alley, sexually assaulted her and threatened to kill her if she told anyone about her ordeal. He then returned to pick up her brother and dropped them both off near the school.

The victim initially kept the incident a secret, discouraged by the convict’s death threats and fear that her family would reprimand her for accepting a ride from a stranger without permission. The crime eventually came to light when a school friend noticed a drastic change in the survivor’s mental state and inquired about her well-being. This prompted the girl to confide in her friend, who immediately reported the matter to the school. Subsequently, the Palak police registered a case.

During the trial, the prosecution drew attention to the criminal history of the accused. He is apparently facing trial in a similar case before the same court and was earlier convicted by the Karunagappally court for abusing a 12-year-old girl by showing her pornographic images. A copy of the previous judgment was presented to the court by the prosecution as evidence of his repeated actions.

The prosecution heard 31 witnesses, submitted 41 documents and submitted eight material items to the court.

Published – 03 Nov 2026 19:07 IST