Pathanamthitta: A 48-year-old man has been convicted and sentenced to a cumulative 90 years of imprisonment by a Kerala court for the repeated rape of a 14-year-old specially-abled girl in 2020.
The Pathanamthitta Additional District and Sessions Judge Jayakumar John sentenced the accused Babu George to varying jail terms for offences: 85 years and a fine of Rs 3 lakh under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, three years for the offence of intimidation, and two years and a fine of Rs. 25,000 under the Juvenile Justice Act.
The case stems from a complaint by the girl’s family in November 2020. They allege that the accused took the girl to a shed near her house during the holidays between September 8 and November 1, 2020, and raped her several times.
In addition to the sexual assault, the accused beat the girl and threatened to kill her if she complained about the assault to anyone. Later, the victim, who is facing learning difficulties, stated to police that the accused tied her to a bed in the shed and raped her, prompting the police to register an FIR and arrest George.
The police team led by Inspector AR Leelamma of Pathanamthitta Women's Police Station probed the case and submitted the charge sheet to the court. After hearing the arguments, the accused was found guilty and sentenced to 90 years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs 3.5 lakh under various acts.
The court said the sentences would have to be served concurrently, and if the convict would not pay the fine, he would have to serve an additional 4 years of rigorous imprisonment. It also directed that the compensation amount be paid to the victim for his rehabilitation.
In a similar pronouncement, the Manjeri Special POCSO Court in Kerala awarded 141-year rigorous incarceration and a fine of Rs 7.85 lakh to a man for serially raping his twelve-year-old stepdaughter for three years. Both the convict and the victim are natives of Tamil Nadu.
Read More
