Man gets 33 years RI for raping minor

A fast-track court on Wednesday sentenced a man to 33 years of rigorous imprisonment for raping a minor girl. He has been punished on various counts and the sentences will run concurrently.

The survivor is a close relative of the accused Arun, alias Gundu Arun, a resident of the Kunnukuzhi ward, Thiruvananthapuram, who was 28 years old when committing the crime.

According to the order passed by Fast Track Special Judge, Thiruvananthapuram, R. Jayakrishnan, Arun was sentenced under Section 450 of the IPC (house-trespass), one year Section 342 of the IPC (wrongful confinement), and the relevant sections under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012, dealing with aggravated penetrative sexual assault.

Arun has also been ordered to pay a fine of ₹88,000, failing which he would undergo a further two-and-a-half years of imprisonment. The amount paid as fine will be given to the survivor. The survivor is also entitled to compensation under the Victim Compensation Scheme, the order noted.

Special Public Prosecutor R. S. Vijayamohan appeared for the Prosecution.

According to the case registered by the Museum Police, Thiruvananthapuram, the girl was assaulted on May 1, 2019. Arun had entered the kitchen of the survivor’s residence and finding that her parents were out, had dragged her into a verandah at the back of the house and sexually assaulted her. After the incident, the girl, a minor at the time of the incident, had entered the bathroom and hid there.

The younger brother of the survivor had raised the alarm.

A subsequent medical examination of the survivor had revealed injuries on her body. The defence had argued that the case was foisted upon Arun as a civil dispute existed between his family and that of the accused.

In Wednesday’s order, the Court also noted that the accused had committed the offence while a prohibition order was in effect against him under the Kerala Anti Social Activities (Prevention) Act (KAAPA).