A special POCSO court in Rangareddy district convicted a gymnastics and karate coach and a private school principal in a 2019 child sexual abuse case registered by Miyapur police, sentencing the coach to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment and the principal to three years of simple imprisonment.

The court convicted Kura Kiran Sai, 31, a gymnastics and karate coach, for sexually assaulting a three-and-a-half-year-old girl under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. He was sentenced to rigorous imprisonment for a term of not less than 20 years and fined ₹20,000.

The second accused, Chilakamukku Deepika, 37, principal of the private school where the incident occurred, was convicted for negligence and sentenced to three years of simple imprisonment along with a fine of ₹1,000.

The court also awarded compensation of ₹3 lakh to the victim.

According to the police, the case was registered on June 27, 2019, following a complaint by the victim’s father citing that his daughter had shown signs of distress after returning from preschool and was unwilling to attend school.

During the investigation, police found that the child had been subjected to sexual abuse by the coach within the school premises on June 20, 2019. Investigators further concluded that lapses in supervision at the school had enabled the offence to take place.

The accused were arrested on July 2, 2019, and a chargesheet was filed after the completion of the investigation.

Following a full trial, Special Judge T. Srinivas of the Special Court for Trial and Disposal of Rape and POCSO Act cases, found both accused guilty under relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code, the POCSO Act and the Juvenile Justice Act.