A Hyderabad court has sentenced a 23-year-old Muslim auto-rickshaw driver to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment in a 2019 POCSO case involving the sexual assault of an 11-year-old Hindu boy. The Special Sessions Court for POCSO cases at HACA Bhavan delivered the verdict on Tuesday, 20th May and also imposed a fine of ₹6,000 on the convict.
A special POCSO court in Hyderabad on Tuesday sentenced a 23-year-old auto-rickshaw driver to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment for sexually assaulting an 11-year-old boy in 2019.#POCSO #Hyderabad @Journo_Abdul https://t.co/iYIx1wplKn
— IndiaToday (@IndiaToday) May 21, 2026
The court further directed that compensation of ₹75,000 be given to the victim. The convicted man was identified as Abdul Rehman, a resident of Begumpet.
Boy rescued after cries for help
According to the Police the incident took place on 29th October, 2019, when the child boarded an auto-rickshaw near Jalavihar to travel to Ranigunj. During the journey, the driver diverted the route and stopped the vehicle near Bathukamma Kunta.
The accused then forcibly took the boy into bushes beside a railway track and sexually assaulted him, police said. When the child tried to resist, the driver attacked him by smashing his head against a wall, causing serious bleeding injuries.
People passing through the area heard the boy screaming and rushed to help him. They rescued the child, caught the auto driver on the spot and later handed him over to the police.
Case filed under IPC and POCSO Act
Based on a complaint lodged by the victim’s mother, the Ramgopalpet police registered a case under Sections 377 and 324 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Sections 5 read with 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
Police officials said the conviction was secured after strong evidence was presented before the court during the trial.
