Madikeri: The Third Additional District and Sessions Court has sentenced Biswajit Sardar, a native of Shimla village in Nadia district, West Bengal, to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs. 20,000 for raping a deaf and mute minor girl.

According to the prosecution, Sardar, who lived near the victim at a line house in a coffee estate, sexually assaulted her on two occasions in Dec. 2021 and again in Feb. 2022. The assaults led to the girl becoming pregnant.

Following a complaint lodged by the girl’s mother at the Women’s Police Station in Madikeri, Sub-Inspectors S.S. Ravikiran and M. Muddumadeva investigated the case, arrested the accused and filed charges under the POCSO Act and Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

Judge G. Surendra, who heard the case, declared the accused guilty and handed down the sentence.

The court also directed the government to pay Rs. 4 lakh in compensation to the minor girl. Special Public Prosecutor B.S. Rudraprasanna argued the case on behalf of the government.