The sixth Additional District and Sessions Court on Thursday sentenced a 38-year-old man from a village near Belthagady to undergo four months imprisonment on finding him guilty of cheating a 20-year-old woman and going back on his promise of marrying her.
According to the chargesheet filed by Puttur rural police, the victim was alone in the house on a day in the last week of January 2014, as her parents had gone to work. The 38-year-old-old Maila alias Mailappa, who is the woman’s neighbour, promised to marry her soon and had relations with her.
The chargesheet said Maila, who is a labourer, and the young woman had consensual sex on two more occasions. When she got pregnant, the woman called Maila, who reportedly told her not to bother him. Later, he even refused to take her calls.
Concerned over rebuke she had to face, the woman left her house without informing her parents and worked as a domestic help at a house in Bantwal. Her parents filed a missing complaint with Puttur Rural police.
The owner of the house in Bantwal where the woman was working saw the news published in the newspapers and produced her before the police on August 3, 2014. She narrated circumstances and then filed complaint against Maila. She gave birth to a baby boy on September 26, 2014. The police arrested Maila and then took his blood samples and that of the child for DNA analysis, which revealed that he was the biological father.
Prosecutor Judith O.M. Crasta examined as many as 23 witnesses including the forensic scientist who did the crucial DNA analysis. The victim, her parents and the owner of the house where she worked supported case of prosecution.
Judge D.T. Puttarangaswamy acquitted Maila of charges of rape as he found it to be case of two adults having consensual sex. The judge, however, sentenced him to undergo four months imprisonment and pay fine of Rs. 10,000 as he found him guilty of cheating. Of the Rs. 10,000, Rs. 8,000 should be paid to the victim. The Judge directed Maila to pay Rs. 40,000 as compensation to the child. He has also directed the District Legal Services Authority to pay compensation to the woman as per Karnataka Victim Compensation Scheme.
