A 40-year-old man was sentenced to seven years of rigorous imprisonment by a local court in Khammam on Wednesday for sexually assaulting a five-year-old girl in May 2023.First Additional District and Sessions Judge, Khammam, B. Srinivasa Rao, pronounced the sentence after finding the accused, Bonepalli Veerababu, guilty under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, following the trial.The court also imposed a fine of ₹50,000 on the convict, and awarded a compensation of ₹1 lakh to the victim.appreciated the Investigating Officer, the Additional Public Prosecutor, the Legal Officer and others for achieving conviction. Published - May 27, 2026 09:49 pm IST