Sexual assault on minor : School bus employee convicted; gets 16 yrs RI

Mangalore Today News Network

Udupi, Feb 13, 2016 : The District and Sessions  Court has on February 12, Friday convicted   26 year old Shubha Kumar of Hebri in the case of  rape of a four year old student of Madhavakripa School  of Manipal and has sentenced him to 16 years of rigorous imprisonment.

The court has also slapped a penalty of Rs 13000 on the  convict. The verdict comes almost two and a half years after the  incident  which had created much furore and had also sparked protests by parents of the students.

Another accused  Sudhir(48) of Manipal has been absolved of the charges. If Shuba Kumar is sentenced to 10 years Rigorous Imprisonment under Section 376 of the IPC,  another six year s of Rigorous Imprisonment has been given under different  sections of POCSO Act .
Though the incident had taken place on September 16, 2013, it came to be known to the outside world only a week later. As per the reports the girl who was then an LKG student   was escorted into another bus after the girl missed her school bus. It is learnt, Shubhakumar who was an employee of the school bus had  sexually assaulted the girl in the bus and then dropped her home by an autorickshaw.

The parents of the girl came to know about the incident only two days later after which a complaint was registered. The police later arrested the two accused who were absconding. It is said the third accused  is still at large.

DySP Savita Hugar had filed the charge sheet  in this case.