70-Year-Old Gets 20-Year RI in POCSO Case in Hyderabad
The accused is sentenced to undergo RI 20 years and ordered to pay a fine of Rs.5,000 and failure to pay the fine will result in an additional six months of simple imprisonment
Hyderabad: A special court for POCSO cases sentenced a 70-year-old person from Chandrayangutta to 20 years of Rigorous Imprisonment (RI) for sexually assaulting a minor girl.
The XII Additional Sessions Judge-cum-Sessions Judge for Trial and Disposal of POCSO Act Cases, M. Archana Kumari, pronounced a landmark judgment convicting the accused.
The case originates from Cr. No. 229/2023, initially registered at Chandrayangutta PS and later transferred to Santoshnagar police station on grounds of jurisdiction vide G.O.Ms. No. 32, Home (Legal) Department, dated 30.04.2023. The trial was conducted under SCPCS No. 53/2024.
The prosecution established that on May 11, 2023, the victim child went to a local stationary-cum-kirana store in Gulshan Iqbal Colony to purchase a milk packet. The accused, Mohammed Zameeruddin (then 65, now 70 years old), a resident of Gulshan Iqbal Colony, lured the child inside his shop, subjected her to severe sexual assault, showed her explicit material, and threatened her.
Upon returning home in tears, the child narrated the ordeal to her uncle, leading to a formal complaint by her parents. After a meticulous trial, the court found the accused guilty under Section 376(2)(f) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Section three read with Section 4 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012.
The accused is sentenced to undergo RI 20 years and ordered to pay a fine of Rs.5,000 and failure to pay the fine will result in an additional six months of simple imprisonment.
The successful conviction is the result of dedicated investigation and clinical prosecution. Hyderabad Police Commissioner VC Sajjanar commended the meticulous investigation conducted by the then Investigation Officer, P. Shiva Chandra (then Inspector of Santoshnagar police station, currently Inspector of Cybercrime, Hyderabad).
Special appreciation is conveyed to the Additional Public Prosecutors, A. Ram Reddy and J. Rama Krishna, for their effective presentation of evidence.
