Hyderabad, Sept. 24 -- A 27-year-old resident of Musheerabad has been sentenced to five years of simple imprisonment and was awarded a fine of Rs 9,000 after being convicted in a Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) case.

A complaint had been lodged against V Manikanta, a private employee, in June 2023, for misbehaving with and stalking an 11-year-old girl who lived in his neighbourhood.

According to the mother of the victim, Manikanta would talk improperly to the minor, pull her hair, and tease her by pulling her hands and legs.

He also used to come close to her and make inappropriate comments about her clothes, asking why she was wearing shorts and saying that she should remove her clothes and roam around without them,...