TIRUNELVELI: The special court for Pocso cases in Tirunelveli on Wednesday awarded death penalty to a 49-year-old daily wage labourer for sexually assaulting and impregnating his 14-year-old daughter. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 25,000 on the accused and directed the government to pay Rs 10 lakh compensation to the survivor.
Sources said the incident came to light in February this year, when the survivor’s mother lodged a complaint at the Nanguneri All-Woman Police Station against the accused. A case was filed under relevant provisions of the Pocso Act and the man was arrested. Police conducted a detailed investigation and a final report was filed before the trial court. In the meantime, Tirunelveli police detained the accused under the Goondas Act and lodged him in the Palayamkottai central prison. The judgment in the case was delivered by Justice K Suresh Kumar. According to the prosecution, the accused sexually assaulted his daughter and threatened to murder her mother if the survivor revealed the abuse to her. Subsequently, the child fell ill and her mother took her to a nearby PHC where tests revealed she was pregnant.
Tirunelveli district SP N Silambarasan appreciated the dedicated efforts of the investigating officers, the prosecution team and others for securing the conviction. A release added that Tirunelveli police have secured convictions against 29 accused in 28 Pocso cases this year.