Kundapura: Two sentenced to 5 years in jail for sexual assault on schoolgirl

Mangalore Today News Network

Kundapura, Feb 6, 2026: The Udupi District POCSO Court, presided over by Judge Srinivas Suvarna, has convicted two individuals for sexually assaulting a minor schoolgirl in an auto-rickshaw last year under the Amashebailu police jurisdiction.

The accused, auto-rickshaw driver Sharath Shetty (32) and his friend Prashant Nayak (28), were each sentenced to five years in prison and fined ₹5,000. In case of non-payment of the fine, an additional five months of imprisonment has been ordered. The court also directed the government to provide ₹50,000 as compensation to the victim.

Incident Details: The minor girl, belonging to a Scheduled Caste, used to travel daily to school by auto-rickshaw. On June 15 last year, while returning home from school, Sharath Shetty and Prashant allegedly sexually harassed her inside the rickshaw. The girl reported the incident to her teachers, who subsequently lodged a complaint with the Amashebailu police station. A police investigation was promptly initiated.

H.D. Kulkarni, DYSP of Kundapura subdivision, completed the investigation within just 15 days and filed a charge sheet in the POCSO Court against the accused, residents of Machattu village. With a total of 32 pieces of evidence, the court conducted a fast-track trial over seven months and pronounced the accused guilty.

The case was prosecuted by Udupi POCSO Court’s public prosecutors Prakashchandra Shetty Belur, Jayaram Shetty, and Y.T. Raghavendra.