Man sentenced for 25 years for child sexual abuse

A 42-year-old man was sentenced to 25 years in prison for sexually abusing a six-year-old girl in Suryapet. The district court also fined him 20,000 and ordered him to pay 5 lakh to the victim. The verdict was announced on March 18. The man, Nallagattu Laxmaiah, is from Kakaravayi village in Khammam district. He was visiting relatives in Mothey mandal when the incident occurred. After a relative passed away on May 18, 2023, the victim's mother visited the family as well. Laxmaiah offered to look after the girl while her mother cared for her other daughter. Trusting him, the mother left her daughter with him. After some time, Laxmaiah returned the girl home. However, two days later, the girl became ill. When taken to the hospital, she did not get better. Eventually, the girl told her mother about the abuse. The mother reported the incident to the police on May 29, 2023. Laxmaiah was then arrested and charged under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.