JUDGMENT:

This Criminal Appeal is filed by the appellant-accused questioning the Judgment dated 18.09.2024 passed in S.C.No.1066 of 2019 by the learned Fast Track Special Judge for Expeditious Trial and Disposal of Rape and POCSO Act Cases, Medchal- Malkajgiri District at Neredmet, wherein the accused was convicted for the offence under Section 9(n) read with Section 10 of the Protection of Children From Sexual Offences Act, 2012 (for short ‘the POCSO Act, 2012’) and sentenced to undergo rigorous imprisonment for a term of seven years and to pay a fine of Rs.5,000/- and in default of payment of fine, he shall undergo simple imprisonment for a term of six months.

2. Heard the learned legal aid counsel appearing for the appellant-accused and the learned Assistant Public Prosecutor for the respondent-State and perused the record.

3. The appellant is the father of the victim girl-PW.1 and PW.2 is the mother of PW1 and wife of the appellant. The brief facts of the case are that on 11.04.2019, when the mother of the victim girl went out, the accused went into the room in a drunken condition and asked the victim girl to show the place of injury on her body. The victim girl showed the place