KOCHI: The accused in the actress assault case, who abducted her, sexually assaulted her inside a moving vehicle, and recorded the incident, have been sentenced to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment. The lesser punishment awarded by the court, despite the charges allowing for life imprisonment, has triggered widespread criticism.

All six convicted accused received reduced sentences after deducting their time already spent in jail. For the first accused Pulsar Suni (37), the sentence effectively comes down to 12 years and 5 months. The court rejected Special Public Prosecutor V. Ajayakumar’s plea seeking the maximum sentence- life imprisonment.

Criticism has also emerged over the compensation amount. From the total fine of Rs 9.75 lakh imposed on the accused, only Rs 5 lakh is to be given

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