Theni (Tamil Nadu), Sep 24 A special POCSO court here has sentenced two men to double life imprisonment for threatening a 13-year-old girl, taking her explicit photographs, and sexually assaulting her, leading to her pregnancy.
Special Court Judge Ezhil on Wednesday found the accused, Raja Perumal (38) and Ayyasamy (56), both hailing from a village in Uthamapalayam taluk, guilty of the offense and imposed a fine of Rs 20,000 on each.
Failure to pay the fine will result in an additional three-month imprisonment.
The crime came to light in 2023 when the victim’s parents took her to a local hospital due to an illness.
Medical examinations revealed that the girl was pregnant, prompting the hospital administration to alert the police.
Upon being questioned by her parents, the victim revealed that she had been subjected to sexual abuse and extortion by Raja Perumal and Ayyasamy.
Following a complaint filed by the parents, the Uthamapalayam all-women police station registered a case and arrested both individuals.
Pronouncing the verdict, Judge Ezhil handed 20 years of rigorous imprisonment along with a Rs 10,000 fine under Section 6 of the POCSO Act, ten years of imprisonment with a Rs 5,000 fine under Section 450 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), and one month of imprisonment with a Rs 5,000 fine under IPC Section 506 (criminal intimidation).
The judge ordered that the prison sentences run concurrently.
Additionally, the court directed the Tamil Nadu government to provide Rs 7 lakh as compensation to the victim.
Following the ruling, the police escorted the convicted individuals to the Madurai central jail.
(PTI News)
