Bengaluru ragpicker sexually assaults class 7 boy, gets 20 years rigorous imprisonment: Report

A Bengaluru court handling POCSO cases has awarded 20 years of rigorous imprisonment to a 37-year-old ragpicker for sexually assaulting a minor boy.

In a disturbing development, a 37-year-old ragpicker from Dakshina Kannada has been sentenced to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment by a special court in Bengaluru dedicated to Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act cases. The court found Jnana Rubin Anthony Muttu guilty of sexually assaulting a minor boy in Bagalur, located near Yelahanka, and ordered him to pay a fine of ₹60,000.

A 37-year-old ragpicker from Dakshina Kannada has been given 20 years of rigorous imprisonment by a Bengaluru POCSO special court for sexually assaulting a minor boy.

The incident occurred on January 21, 2024, when Muttu befriended a 13-year-old student in Class 7 by offering to buy him chocolates, said a report by The Times of India. Gaining the boy’s trust, Muttu lured him to an isolated spot later that evening and committed the assault. Overwhelmed by distress, the boy initially stayed silent and did not inform his family. However, unable to contain his trauma, he confided in his mother the next day about what had transpired.

Upon hearing her son’s account, the mother immediately contacted the Bagalur police station. Inspector VS Shabarish led the investigation, which resulted in Muttu’s arrest soon after the complaint was filed, said the report.

The investigation revealed that after the assault, Muttu had taken a nude photograph of the boy, which police later recovered from his mobile device. This photograph became a vital link tying him to the crime. Additional forensic evidence proved crucial: semen stains found on the convict’s clothing were sent for DNA analysis at the forensic science laboratory, and the report confirmed that the samples matched Muttu’s DNA.

With these concrete pieces of evidence, the special court handed down a stringent punishment of 20 years rigorous imprisonment.

HT.com has not independently verified the authenticity of this information.