CHENNAI: DMK leader and former Perambalur MLA M Rajkumar was awarded 10-year jail term on Friday, by a special court set up to try MPs and MLAs, for the rape and culpable homicide of a 15-year-old girl in 2012. This is the first conviction by the court that opened on September 21.
In June 2012, the minor from Kerala, working as a domestic help at Rajkumar’s house was hospitalised under suspicious circumstances. Her parents shifted her to a private hospital in Theni where she died a few days later. During her final rites in Idukki, her parents noticed injuries on her body.
Subsequently, a postmortem was ordered and it was found that the girl had been sexually abused. A case was registered by the Kerala Police against Rajkumar and further investigations were carried out by Perambalur Police.
The case was later transferred to CBCID, which filed a charge sheet accusing Rajkumar, his driver Mahendran and five others of rape and murder. One of the accused died while the case was on trial. According to sources, though many witnesses turned hostile, the autopsy report became a substantial piece of evidence. Only Rajkumar and one Jaisankar, who is said to have abetted crime, were convicted.