The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) court sentenced a 22-year-old youth to double death for the sexual assault and murder of a seven-year-old boy, in Dharmapuri on Tuesday (June 23, 2026).The accused Prakash had lured the boy, who was playing in the vicinity, to an overhead tank and sexually assaulted him. Fearing that the boy would reveal the crime, Prakash strangulated the boy and threw him inside the tank.After the boy was noticed missing, the parents lodged a complaint with the police. Witnesses had seen the boy climb up the overhead tank with Prakash. Following this, Prakash was arrested. Awarding the sentence at the completion of the trial, POCSO court sentenced Prakash to double death along with a fine of ₹20,000 each for the crime of sexual assault and murder. Published - June 23, 2026 08:56 pm IST