The Fast Track Special Court in Neyyattinkara sentenced a man to 106 years rigorous imprisonment for raping and impregnating his daughter.
Judge V. Udayakumar pronounced the judgement after finding the accused guilty in the case that was registered by the Kattakada police in 2017.
He was sentenced to 25 years imprisonment and ₹4 lakh fine under each of the Sections 5(m) (aggravated penetrative sexual assault), 5(l) (penetrative sexual assault on a child more than once or repeatedly), 5(j)(ii) (make the child pregnant as a consequence of sexual assault), and 5(n) (whoever being a relative of the child through blood or adoption… commits penetrative sexual assault on the child).
Another six year’ imprisonment and a fine of ₹1 lakh under Section 9(l) (sexual assault on the child more than once or repeatedly) of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act has also been slapped on the man.
While default of fines in the first four charges would lead to additional one year’s imprisonment respectively, a default in the fifth would result in three months’ imprisonment. The sentences shall run concurrently and ₹4 lakh out of the fine amount would be paid to the survivor as compensation, the court ordered.
According to the prosecution led by special public prosecutor Ajith Thankayya, the accused who used to work as a rubber tapper frequently harassed his daughter who was then studying in Class 7 when her mother was not at home. He also threatened her against revealing her ordeal to anyone else.
The sexual assault, however, came to light when the child was found to be pregnant. While the accused’s attempts to arrange for an adoption turned futile, his wife’s sister complained to the police. The child opened up on her ordeal after she was provided counselling by the Child Welfare Committee.
The survivor gave birth to a baby girl at the SAT Hospital on October 3, 2017. A DNA test confirmed the accused to be the biological father of the child.
The prosecution presented 20 witnesses, 30 documents and three material evidence.
