Courts in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Telangana Hand Down 14–25-Year Sentences in Child Sexual Abuse Cases Under POCSO

Overview

• A Delhi court sentenced a man to 14 years of rigorous imprisonment for sexually assaulting a seven-year-old in 2016 and awarded the survivor Rs 10.5 lakh in compensation, with the judge stressing the need for stern punishment.
• A special POCSO court in Uttar Pradesh’s Shamli district gave Guddu and Sagar 20 years of rigorous imprisonment each for raping a 16-year-old and threatening to post her images online, convicting them under IPC, POCSO and IT Act provisions and fining them Rs 55,000 each.
• In Pratapgarh, Uttar Pradesh, 60-year-old Hari Prasad Maurya was sentenced to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment for raping a seven-year-old in 2023, with a Rs 50,000 fine ordered to be paid to the victim.
• A Nampally court in Telangana on Wednesday sentenced Asham Aakash Kumar to 25 years of rigorous imprisonment and a Rs 10,000 fine for sexually assaulting and blackmailing a 16-year-old he had groomed via Instagram.
• Police said the Secunderabad survivor received counseling and medical evidence support at the Bharosa Centre, and officials reported she has resumed her studies in a bachelor’s program.