A fast track court here sentenced a 47-year-old man to 31 years of rigorous imprisonment for sodomising a minor boy in the city three years ago.
Thiruvananthapuram Fast Track Special Judge R. Jayakrishnan, who pronounced the verdict, found Murukan alias Kappippodi Murukan of Lakshamveedu Colony in Mannanthala guilty of sexually abusing the victim.
The convict was sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment and a fine of ₹10,000 under Section 377 (unnatural offences) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), one year and a fine of ₹5,000 under Section 506 (1) (criminal intimidation) of the IPC, and 20 years and a fine of ₹25,000 under Section 6 (aggravated penetrative sexual assault) of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act.
A default of fines would lead to additional imprisonment for six months, three months and a year respectively.
According to the prosecution led by special public prosecutor Vijay Mohan R.S., the convict lured the victim, who was then aged 14 years, to his house and sexually abused him on October 13, 2018. He also threatened the child against revealing the incident to anyone. While the accused repeated the offence the next day, the victim revealed his ordeal to his parents when Murukan called him again on the third day.
The case had been investigated by the then Mannanthala Sub-Inspector Rakesh J.
Murukan, who was represented by advocate T. Pradeep during the trial, claimed innocence and alleged the victim’s father of foisting a false case after the former had urged the latter to end a purported ganja business that he ran. The prosecution presented 12 witnesses, 14 exhibits and a material object as evidence.
