SALEM: A Special Court for POCSO cases on Tuesday sentenced K Dineshkumar alias Karthick (28) of Thalavaipatti in Salem district to death for sexually harassing a 14-year-old girl and decapitating her.
According to the Attur police, the accused was a harvest-vehicle driver and habitual drunker.
On October 22, 2018, the victim, a Scheduled Caste girl, went to her neighbour Dinesh’s house to pluck flowers. When the accused tried to misbehave with her she fled from the spot. Soon after, Dinesh went to the girl's home with a machete and severed the girl’s head in front of her mother and threw it on the road. Dinesh’s wife and his relatives later handed him over to the Attur police.
Police registered cases under Section 302 (murder) and SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and remanded him in prison on October 24. On October 31, 2018, police also booked him under Section 11 (iv) and 12 (sexual harassment) of the POCSO Act and detained him under Goondas Act.
The special court on Tuesday awarded Dinesh a death sentence and Rs.5,000 fine under Section 302 IPC, life imprisonment and Rs.5,000 fine under section 3 (2) (v) of SC/ST(POA) Act, 10 years rigorous imprisonment and Rs.5,000 fine under Section 45o IPC, three years rigorous imprisonment and Rs.10,000 fine under Section 11 (iv) and 12 of POCSO Act, and three months rigorous imprisonment and Rs.1,000 fine under section 294 (b) of IPC.