TIRUCHY: Former Tiruchy Deputy Mayor Asick Meera (32), son of former Environment Minister N Mariyam Pichai, was sentenced to 10-year rigorous imprisonment by the Mahila Court here for cheating a young woman with a promise of marriage. Meera, who was among the four persons found guilty by the court, had deserted the woman when she became pregnant.
In 2014, N Durgeshwari (32) filed a complaint with Golden Rock All Women Police Station, reportedly after being hindered at every step. The victim had to overcome several obstacles before her complaint could be filed when Meera was Deputy Mayor in Tiruchy Corporation.
Durgeshwari claimed to be Meera’s first wife and her daughter Karishma was his child. The case was filed after the Deputy Mayor concealed his relationship with her and went on to marry a relative. After the complaint surfaced, the AIADMK leadership asked him to step down and police launched an investigation. During the hearing, the Mahila Court found all statements made by the victim to be true and convicted Meera, his mother-in-law Maimoon Sharifa and his friends Chandrababu and Saravanan.
A case was brought to the Mahila Court in 2016 stating Meera had cheated Durgeshwari and abandoned her with a child. Despite Meera denying the charges, it was proved through DNA samples that Karishma was his daughter.
Cases were registered against the four, mostly against Meera and his mother-in-law, who is alleged to have harassed the victim. Meera was charged under Sections 120(b), 313, 417, 376 and 496 and accused No 4 Maimoon Sharifa under 120(b) and 313 of 109 IPC and 506 (i), which led to both getting 10 years’ rigorous imprisonment, said Krishnaveni Thamaraiselvan, the special public prosecutor who argued the case for Durgeshwari.
Finding Meera guilty under five sections of the IPC, Mahila Court judge Jacintha Martin sentenced him to 30 years in prison. But this will run concurrently and the actual time served would be limited to 10 years – the highest under Sections 376 and 313. The court sentenced Sharifa to 10 year RI, while the other two received terms of seven years each. In addition, a fine of `50,000 was also slapped on those convicted. The accused were all taken to Tiruchy District Central Prison under heavy security.