Man sentenced to 20 years’ rigorous imprisonment for sexual assault of minor

According to prosecutors, Prashant Gouda Neelappagoudra, a 37-year-old married man, sexually assaulted a minor girl in Dharwad. The judge sentenced him to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of ₹55,000. The court also directed that the victim be compensated with ₹6 lakh from the Victim Compensation Fund. The prosecution alleged that Neelappagoudra promised marriage to the victim in order to lure her to accompany him.

He allegedly threatened the victim with dire consequences if she disclosed the incident. The victim became pregnant and gave birth to a child at KIMS Hospital in Hubballi on June 26, 2024. Her father had reported the assault to the Kalaghatagi Police Station, where Inspector Shreeshail Koujalagi investigated and filed a chargesheet. Public prosecutor Shaila Angadi represented the prosecution in the case.