Mumbai, October 2: A 63-year-old man has been sentenced to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment on Friday by a POCSO court for sexually assaulting a minor girl in 2015. Reports inform that the convict, a Mumbai resident, sexually assaulted the then nine-year-old daughter of his neighbour after he was asked to look after her as the minor's family member had gone to drop their relatives to the railway station. The man then reportedly threatened the girl to not speak about the incident to anyone. Hyderabad: Man Sentenced to 25 Years of Rigorous Imprisonment for Raping Minor Niece.

According to a report by the Hindustan Times, the convict pleaded for leniency on the grounds of his advanced age. However, the court rejected it. The court reportedly said ,“If the accused is shown leniency then it will send a wrong message in the society." “The offences proved against the accused are serious in nature." it added. The 63-year-old man has been convicted for sexual assault under section 4 of the POCSO Act (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) as well as for rape under section 376 of the Indian Penal Code. Jharkhand: Man Sentenced to 30 Years of Rigorous Imprisonment for Raping Minor Step Niece.

Additional Session Judge Sanjashree Gharat said that the minor girl will have to carry the mental trauma from the incident through her entire life. Judge Gharat said, "At the time when the offence happened (2015), the victim was just nine-years-old and now she will have to carry that mental trauma throughout her life,” according to a report by the Hindustan Times. He has been sentenced to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 02, 2021 05:27 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).