Representational Photo
KOCHI: A 44-year-old autorickshaw driver was awarded 10 years rigorous imprisonment and a fined Rs 50,000 after a Pocso Special Court in Kochi found him guilty of sexually assaulting a six-year-old girl. Rajeev, a native of Kalamassery, was found guilty of raping the child, a first-standard student, while she was returning from school in his autorickshaw to her house. The girl was a regular commuter to school from the house and vice versa in the accused’s autorickshaw.
The case pertaining to the incident happened on February 14, 2019. After dropping other students during the return journey, the victim was alone in the autorickshaw at 4.20 pm.
The accused stopped the vehicle on Edappally Toll-Kalamassery Road and sexually abused the girl. The girl who was shocked by his act told her mother about the incident. Based on the complaint of the father of the victim, Kalamassery police registered a case and arrested the accused.
While pronouncing the order, Judge K Soman observed the accused had committed a breach of trust or authority conferred upon him by the parents of the victim when they sent their daughter to school with the accused.
“The parents have no other way but to believe the autorickshaw driver with whom their daughter was sent. The accused, having committed such an offence, does not deserve any leniency,” the court said. Kalamassery police carried out the investigation and submitted the chargesheet.
