KOCHI: A fast-track court in Perumbavoor on Monday acquitted antique conman Monson Mavunkal in a case related to the sexual harassment of a minor girl by his staffer in 2019.
Monson’s staffer Joshi, who is the first accused in the case, was found guilty by the court and was sentenced to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment (RI) for raping the under-aged victim. The victim is the daughter of a woman who worked at Monson’s office.
Monson, who was the second accused in the case, faced trial for offences under Sections 19 and 20 of POCSO Act for not reporting sexual harassment to the police despite knowing about it.
Joshi was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment for rape. Apart from that, he was convicted for six months and three years of RI for offences under the POCSO Act. The sentence will run concurrently. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 35,000 on him.
Monson was acquitted by the court in the absence of evidence against him. The court had examined 23 witnesses during the trial. Advocate M G Sreejith appeared for Monson in the court. It was on July 20, 2019, that the victim was raped by Joshi at Monson’s office in Kaloor, Kochi.