CHENNAI: Reversing partially the verdict of a special court for POCSO cases, the Madras High Court convicted five of the accused who were earlier acquitted in a child sexual abuse case. Justice P Velmurugan delivered the verdict on appeals filed by two convicted persons demanding to set aside the trial court judgment and another appeal by the CB-CID for reversing the acquittal.
The matter is related to penetrative sexual abuse of a 14-year-old child in Chennai in 2013. She was pushed into prostitution by her own mother Chitra (named changed), who handed her to a broker couple Jaya alias Jayalakshmi and her husband Selvam.
The couple, along with another woman Latha Radha, pushed the girl into flesh trade. Four persons — Rajeshkumar, Sathishkumar, Ganeshkumar and Surendhar — had allegedly taken her to Kottivakkam beach and committed penetrative sexual assault in an inebriated mood. The victim girl escaped and travelled up to Tirupati where she took refuge with an old lady, a street vendor.
The local police rescued the girl and handed her over to a child welfare committee. The special court for POCSO Act cases in Chennai had passed the judgment in 2020. The court convicted the victim’s mother Chitra with 10 years’ imprisonment while Jaya and her husband Selvam were handed seven-year prison terms. Latha Radha, Rajeshkumar, Sathishkumar, Ganeshkumar and Surendhar were acquitted.
The appeals came up for hearing before Justice Velmurugan. State Public Prosecutor Hassan Mohammed Jinnah appeared for CB-CID and put forth arguments to prove the acquitted persons guilty. After listening to the arguments, Justice Velmurugan on Wednesday upheld the trial court verdict punishing Chitra, Jaya and Selvam and reversed the acquittal order. He convicted Latha Radha, Rajeshkumar, Sathishkumar, Ganeshkumar and Surendhar. Latha Radha was sentenced to undergo seven years of imprisonment while the other four received 10 years’ imprisonment.