A 12-year-old boy was sexually assaulted by a man in Mathura, Uttar Pradesh in July. On October 31, Tuesday, a special POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) court in the city sentenced the accused to life imprisonment.

The verdict came after a 30-day trial. Additional Sessions and Special Judge Ram Kishore Yadav also imposed a fine of Rs 70,000 on the convict, with 50 per cent of the penalty to be paid to the victim’s parents, as per a report by IANS.

Alka Upmanyu, special district government counsel, informed the court, "The convict approached the boy when he was returning home from school, lured him to his residence and sexually abused him in a cattle shed. The boy's mother witnessed the incident from the roof of their neighbour's house, and immediately raised an alarm."

The neighbours rescued the boy and handed over the accused, identified as 35-year-old Hukum, to the police. An FIR was filed based on a complaint of the boy's father. Hukum was charged under Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Sections 5 and 6 of the POCSO Act for the crime that took place on July 23.

Mathura SP Shailesh Kumar monitored the investigation and helped police file a charge sheet in a fast-track court in just five weeks. Hukum was convicted on July 27 and subsequently sentenced on October 30. The trial, which lasted for 30 working days, featured testimonies of 12 witnesses.

"The medical report confirmed sexual assault. The child's detailed statement in the court describing the crime played a pivotal role in securing life imprisonment for the convict," Upmanyu added in her address to the court, as per IANS.