Hyderabad Court Convicts 33 in POCSO and PITA Case, Sentences Five to Life

A special court at HACA Bhavan in Hyderabad has convicted 33 persons in connection with a 2015 case registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act (PITA). The court handed life imprisonment to five convicts and awarded varying prison terms to 28 others.

The judgment was delivered by Uday Bhaskar Rao, Special Sessions Judge for POCSO Act Cases at the Fast Track Special Court (FTSC), following a trial based on an investigation conducted by the Crime Investigation Department (CID) of the Telangana Police.

According to CID officials, the case originated on July 17, 2015, when a victim approached the CID office. The victim stated that an acquaintance from her village approached her under the pretext of arranging employment. She was subsequently introduced to three persons and taken to various locations, where she was forced into prostitution and subjected to physical and sexual abuse. The victim remained under their control for approximately four months before escaping and filing a complaint.

Following the complaint, CID teams registered a case and conducted targeted searches and raids at suspected brothel premises. During the operations, police apprehended 45 persons and rescued nine minor girls alongside other victims. Investigating officers also seized incriminating materials from the raided premises.

After completing the investigation, the CID filed a comprehensive charge sheet before the court against the accused individuals.

Following the conclusion of the trial, the court sentenced five convicts to life imprisonment. Three individuals were sentenced to 14 years of rigorous imprisonment, 14 were awarded 10 years of rigorous imprisonment, and 11 received three years of rigorous imprisonment.

In addition to the prison terms, the court ordered compensation of Rs 5 lakh each to the nine rescued minor girls in light of the physical and mental trauma they suffered. The court noted that this compensation is in addition to the amounts the victims were already entitled to receive under the law.