THRISSUR: The District Sessions Court here on Tuesday sentenced a 46-year-old man to 19 years’ imprisonment for raping a 17-year-old girl student. Principal District Sessions Court judge B Sudhindrakumar also slapped a fine of `50,000 on the convict while passing the judgment. He was sentenced to 12 years’ imprisonment under Section 450 of the Indian Penal Code and 7 years’ rigorous imprisonment under Section 376.
According to the chargesheet, the convict, Chandran, of Mullasserry, trespassed into the house of the victim on December 12, 2008, and raped her in the absence of her family members who had gone out for job.
The girl was seriously injured in the attack was rushed to the nearest private hospital where the doctors confirmed sexual assault on her. Later, she was shifted to the Thrissur Medical College Hospital for detailed medical care.
The police arrested Chandran from a hideout on December 28, 2008. While awarding the sentence, the court was of the view that a deterrent punishment should be imposed in the case considering the larger interests of society so that it may serve as a deterrent to like-minded offenders to desist themselves from defiling and sexually attacking women and children.
The court also observed that the substantive sentences of imprisonment awarded shall run concurrently. If the convict fails to pay the fine to the victim, he should have to undergo an additional rigorous imprisonment, the court said. Chandran was shifted to the Viyyur Central Jail later. Public prosecutor Pious Mathew and advocates K M Srijith and Aiswarya Prakash appeared for the prosecution.