KASARGOD: Kasaragod Additional District Sessions Court sentenced a man to 97 years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs 8.30 lakh for sexually abusing a 12-year-old girl. Manjeshwaram native Syed Mohammad Basheer (41) was sentenced by Additional District Sessions Court (1) Judge A Manoj for sexually abusing the twelve-year-old girl.

Syed Mohammad had sexually abused the girl several times from 2008 to 2017. In 2019, immediately after finishing the SSLC examination, the girl reached the Kasaragod District Legal Service Authority and revealed the sexual assault to the sub-judge. The accused will have to spend an additional eight and a half years in jail if he fails to pay the fine.