In an extremely aggravated sexual assault case involving the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, a court at Manjeri sentenced a man for imprisonment until his death for repeatedly raping two of his minor daughters.
Fast Track Special Court (POCSO) judge Prakasan P.T. on Friday sentenced the 55-year-old to four life imprisonments and slapped a fine of ₹2.1 lakh considering the gravity of the crime.
Of the two POCSO cases, the judgment was in connection with the rape of his 15-year-old daughter between 2014 and 2016. The verdict on the second case, in connection with the rape of his 17-year-old daughter in the same period, is set to be delivered on August 25.
The case registered at the Pothukal police station in March 2016 found that the accused had abused his daughters repeatedly during 2014-16 when he used to sleep with them after picking quarrels with their mother. When the girls complained to their mother, he threatened to kill them.
Prosecution counsel A. Somasundaran succeeded in proving the man guilty. The judge slapped three life imprisonments and a fine of ₹50,000 each under IPC 377 (2)(f), 377 (2)(i), 377 (2)(k). Under the POCSO Act 5 (c), another life imprisonment was ordered and ₹50,000 slapped.
The accused also got 10 years of rigorous imprisonment under IPC 376/511, two years and a fine of ₹10,000 under IPC 354, one year under IPC 506(2), one year under IPC 342, and three years under the Juvenile Justice Act 75.
Although he will have to undergo all the jail terms concurrently, he will be in prison until his death. “This has been one of the rarest of aggravated sexual offences we saw in recent memory,” said Mr. Somasundaran.
