A Special POCSO court in Manjeri in Kerala sentenced a man and his partner to 180 years of rigorous imprisonment each for repeated sexual assault of a minor girl. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 11.75 lakh each, directing that failure to pay the fine would result in an additional 20 years of imprisonment.

"Today, the court has convicted both of the accused - 180 years of rigourous imprisonment and Rs 11.75 lakh," the public prosecutor said. The verdict was pronounced by Special POCSO Court Judge Ashraf AM under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, and the Juvenile Justice Act (JJ Act).