KOTTAYAM: The additional Sessions Court-I (special), Kottayam, has found six accused in the sensational Poovarani sex scandal case guilty. Additional Sessions judge K Babu will pronounce the quantum of punishment on Friday. Meanwhile, the court acquitted five accused in the case owing to lack of evidence. The convicted are the first six accused in the case. They are Lizy Tomy of Ayarkkunnam, Jomini of Theekkoy, Jyothish of Poonjar, Thankamani of Poonjar Thekkekkara, Satheesh Kumar of Thrikkaruva, Kollam and Rakhi of Parakkatt, Thrissur. While the 10th accused Ullas committed suicide during the trial, accused Shan K Devassia, Joby Joseph, Dayanandan, Binu Agustine and Joshy were acquitted.
The case was that a minor girl from Poovarani near Pala, was allegedly abducted and raped at various places across the state from August 2007 to May 2008. The victim, who was an eighth standard student in a private school in Pala, was lured by her close relative and prime accused Lisy Tomy and handed over to the other accused in the case. According to the prosecution, the victim died of AIDS and Hepatitis at a hospital in Theni, Tamil Nadu, in May 2008 following the brutal sexual abuse for around a year. She had been taken to various places in Tamil Nadu and Kerala as part of exploiting her sexually.
The Changanassery police registered a case in 2008, following a complaint filed to the district police chief by the victim’s mother after her death, which led to the arrest of the accused. The trial commenced on April 29, 2014, and was completed in two years. The prosecution presented a mammoth list of 183 witnesses in the case.
N Gopalakrishnan was the special public prosecutor in the case. Advocates Boban T Thekkel, C S Ajayan and Raju Abraham appeared for the accused.