The Aryavarth Express
Agency (Kerala): A court in Kerala has sentenced a 44-year-old man to 106 years in prison after he was convicted of raping and impregnating a mentally challenged 15-year-old girl in Idukki district. However, due to the sentences being served concurrently, the man will effectively serve 22 years.
The Devikulam Fast Track Special Court also imposed a ₹60,000 fine on the man. Failure to pay this fine will result in an additional 22 months of rigorous imprisonment. If the fine is paid, it will be directed to the victim as compensation through the Idukki District Legal Services Authority’s victim compensation scheme.
The incident occurred in 2022 when the accused, originally from Thrissur, was working in Adimali. He became acquainted with the victim’s mother at a hotel where both worked, eventually staying at her home. During times when the girl’s mother and siblings were away, he began sexually exploiting the girl and threatened her life if she revealed the abuse.
The abuse came to light when the girl’s mother took her to Adimali Taluk Hospital due to physical difficulties, where a doctor discovered she was pregnant and alerted the authorities. The pregnancy was terminated at Idukki Medical College Hospital.
Further investigation involved DNA tests on the medical samples from the aborted fetus and the accused, confirming his paternity. The man received multiple sentences under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, culminating in a total of 106 years as announced by Special Public Prosecutor Smiju K Das.