02-05-2025
Court sentences one man to 47 years' RI for raping differently abled, minor girl
The Thiruvananthapuram Fast Track Special Court, which deals with child abuse cases, on Friday sentenced a 41-year-old man to 47 years of rigorous imprisonment for sexually assaulting his differently abled relative, a 16-year-old girl.
Special Judge Rekha R., who found the accused Rajeev guilty of the crime, also imposed a fine of ₹25,000, the default of which would lead to eight months' additional imprisonment.
According to the prosecution led by Special Public Prosecutor Vijay Mohan R.S., the incident occurred on September 25, 2020, under the Nedumangad police station limits.
Around 11:45 a.m. when the survivor was alone at home, the accused committed the heinous crime. The girl's elder sister, who had gone outside, returned and witnessed the assault. She grabbed a stick lying nearby, attacked Rajeev and chased him away. The survivor had sustained serious injuries in the attack.
Hearing the screams of the two girls, their neighbours rushed in and alerted the police. During further investigation, it was revealed that Rajeev had dragged the girl from her room to the kitchen, beat her and then assaulted her. He also confessed to sexually abusing the girl on two previous occasions, which had not come to light earlier because he had threatened her to remain silent.
The court strongly stated that the accused, who cruelly assaulted a child, suffering from Down Syndrome, deserves no mercy. The prosecution examined 31 witnesses and presented 31 exhibits and three material objects.
