KOZHIKODE: A court has sentenced a man to 96 years of rigorous imprisonment for sexually assaulting a four-and-a-half-year-old girl. It was Kozhikode fast-track POCSO court judge Rajeev Jayaraj who sentenced Kommeri native K Santhosh to life imprisonment and a fine of Rs 4 lakhs.

The accused will have to spend an additional four years and 6 months in jail if he fails to pay the fine. The court also ruled that the fine of Rs 4,00,000 should be handed over to the victim.

The case, which was registered by Kozhikode Medical College Police Station SI K Muraleedharan, was investigated by Inspector Binu Thomas.