The Coimbatore District Mahila Court on Friday convicted a software engineer on charges of kidnapping and raping an 18-year-old girl in 2007 and sentenced him to life imprisonment.
According to Public Prosecutor R. Sarojini, R. Sam (28), then an engineering college student, had kidnapped the girl and taken her to a lodge at Kodaikanal. He had allegedly drugged her by mixing sedatives in cold drinks and repeatedly raped her. He then promised to marry her.
However, Sam’s parents and relatives demanded that the girl bring Rs. 6 lakh as dowry for marriage. As she could not do so, they had threatened the girl. Following this, the girl lodged a complaint at All-Woman Police Station (East) which registered a case against Sam.
A case of intimidation was also registered against Sam’s parents R. Raghunathan (57) and R. Salomi (55), and friends M. Sivaram (27) of Ramanathapuram and S. Kiruba Shankar (26) of Amman Kulam.
On Friday, judge M.P. Balasubramanian sentenced Sam to life imprisonment for rape and ordered him to pay Rs. 1 lakh as compensation to her. The judge also sentenced him to undergo another seven years of rigorous imprisonment and pay Rs. 10,000 for kidnapping. One more year’s rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs. 5,000 was imposed for the false promise to marry her. The sentences will run concurrently. Sam’s parents and friends were acquitted.
