CHENNAI: The special court for the exclusive trial of Pocso cases in Tiruvallur district on Wednesday convicted a man and sentenced him to rigorous imprisonment for a total of 35 years for criminal intimidation and repeated rape of his 14-year-old niece.
Although the child and her aunt (the convict’s wife) filed a complaint to the police in 2019, the uncle continued to threaten and intimidate them allegedly causing the child to end her life in 2021. Police said the trial in the case of the child’s death is still under way.
The child had been living with her maternal aunt after her parents separated. The aunt married the convict, a native of Thanjavur district, who repeatedly raped the child and threatened her not to tell anyone. The violence came to light after the man left to Dubai for work.
Based on the complaint filed by the girl’s aunt in October 2019, a case was registered for rape, criminal intimidation, and multiple offences under the Pocso Act at the Pattabiram All Women Police Station. The accused was arrested on his return from Dubai in 2021 but he came out on bail and allegedly continued to threaten his wife and the child. The child finally ended her life on August 25, 2021. A separate case was filed in connection to her death.
C Umammaheshwari, the Sessions Judge of the Special Court, found the accused guilty of the IPC offences of rape and criminal intimidation and the Pocso offences of sexual harassment, aggravated penetrative sexual assault more than once, and penetrative sexual assault on a child, who is related to the accused or under his guardianship.
He was awarded rigorous imprisonment of 10 years (rape), two years (criminal intimidation) and three, 10 and 10 years respectively for the offences under the Pocso Act. The judge said that the sentences shall run consecutively. A total fine of Rs 40,000 was also imposed on him.
The judge also ordered the government to pay a compensation of Rs 4.7 lakh to the child’s guardian, her aunt, apart from the Rs 30,000 already paid as interim compensation.
Avadi Police Commissioner K Shankar appreciated public prosecutor Vijayalakshmi, Pattabiram AWPS Inspector Shoba Devi and other police personnel involved in the investigation and trial for securing the conviction.
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