JUDGMENT

(Judgment of the Court was delivered by N. ANAND VENKATESH, J.)

The sole accused in the present appeal has assailed the judgement passed by the Fast Track Mahila Court, Theni, in Special S.C.No.27 of 2020, dated 31.07.2023, wherein the appellant has been convicted for offence under Section 5(l) read with Section 6 of the “Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012” (hereinafter referred to as “Act” for brevity) and sentenced to undergo life imprisonment and to pay a fine of Rs.1000/-, in default to undergo one month simple imprisonment and was also convicted for offence under Section 506 of IPC and sentenced to undergo one month simple imprisonment. The sentences were directed to run concurrently.

2. The case of the prosecution is that the appellant, who was aged about 40 years, called the victim girl, who was aged about 13 years, to the house of one Balaji on 18.01.2020 at 2.00 PM and committed penetrative sexual assault on her. He also threatened the victim girl not to disclose the occurrence to anyone. The further case of the prosecution is that the appellant repeatedly committed the said offence and once again threatened the victim girl on 16.02.2020 not to rev