Father sentenced to seven years, stepmother gets 10 years RI for brutally assaulting Shafeeq, imposes Rs 2 lakh on woman

THODUPUZHA: The quantum of sentence has been pronounced on the accused for brutally assaulting Shafeeq, a four-and-a half-year-old boy. The first accused Sharif, the boy’s father, was sentenced to seven years of rigorous imprisonment and the second accused Aneesha to ten years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs 2 lakh has also been imposed. Sharif will have to pay a fine of Rs 50,000. If the fine is not paid, he will have to serve an additional year of imprisonment. The sentence has been imposed under sections including the Juvenile Justice Act and IPC 326. The verdict in the case was pronounced after 11 years.

The accused were previously in prison for three months. This will reduce their sentence. The public prosecutor responded that the verdict is satisfactory. Life imprisonment was demanded. However, it is believed that the sentence was reduced considering the circumstances of the accused. The accused have five children. They are from a financially backward family. He also said that Shafeeq has got justice.

Four-and-a-half-year-old Shafeeq was brutally beaten by his father and stepmother in July 2013. Shafeeq was provided treatment by Al-Azhar Medical College for years. The child is being looked after by his caretaker Ragini. Shafeeq survived the accident after a long period of treatment. The serious brain injury affected the child's intellectual development and speech. He cannot even walk.