MANGALURU: The additional district and sessions judge FTSC-1 (Pocso), Mangaluru, Manjula Itty, sentenced a convict, who was a police constable attached to the District Armed Reserve, to life imprisonment on Thursday, for abetting the suicide of a minor girl.

The convict, Praveen K alias Praveen Salian,35, is sentenced to undergo imprisonment for life, and pay a fine of Rs 10,000, for the offence punishable under IPC Section 305 (abetment of suicide of child).

He was further sentenced to undergo rigorous imprisonment for a period of three years, and pay a fine of Rs 1,000, for an offence punishable under Section 12 of the Pocso Act. Both sentences of imprisonment shall run concurrently, the court ordered.

Providing details of the case, special public prosecutor Sahana Devi said that a case was registered on June 10, 2015, at the Ullal police station, based on the complaint filed by the mother of a 17-year-old girl, who died by hanging.

The girl had died by hanging herself with a chudidar shawl, by tying the same to a ceiling fan. A death note was found on the table in the room, in which it was stated that the accused Praveen, working as a police constable at Pandeshwar, was responsible for her suicide. Praveen reportedly had come in contact with the girl through Facebook.

He threatened and blackmailed her, saying he would commit suicide and ruin her reputation, in case she failed to give him Rs 1 lakh or gold. He had allegedly shared inappropriate pictures and text messages with the victim, with whom he was in touch for nearly four months.

It is stated in the death note, that on account of the fear generated by the accused, the girl had committed suicide. She had also mentioned his mobile number. A probe was launched, and the accused was arrested and a chargesheet filed, said Sahana Devi.