The special court for trial of atrocities against women and children, Ernakulam, on Wednesday sentenced a man convicted of murdering his 10-year-old daughter to life imprisonment plus term sentences of 28 years’ rigorous imprisonment, which, however, will run concurrently.
Special court judge K. Soman found Sanu Mohan, 42, of Karthikappally in Alappuzha guilty of all five offences, which the prosecution accused him of. The judge insisted that “the accused shall first undergo the term sentences before the commencement of his life sentence.”
The prosecution case was that Sanu got his daughter intoxicated and then smothered her in their apartment at Kangarappady near Thrikkakara to escape from his liabilities to creditors and the family and then dumped her body in the Muttar river on the night of March 21, 2021. He then absconded and was nabbed from Karnataka after 28 days. The case had created quite a flutter while the police were sent on what seemed a wild goose chase before the accused was nabbed on April 19, 2021.
The court found him guilty of charges under IPC Sections 302 (murder), 328 (causing hurt by means of any stupefying, intoxicating drug to commit or facilitate the commission of an offence), and 201 (causing disappearance of evidence), and Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act Sections 75 (cruelty to child) and 77 (giving intoxicating liquor or narcotic drug or psychotropic substance to a child).
Sanu Mohan was sentenced to life imprisonment and slapped with a fine of ₹1 lakh for murder, besides being awarded term sentences of 10 years, five years, 10 years, and three years rigorous imprisonment respectively for the other charges plus a collective fine of ₹70,000.
The case registered by the Thrikkakara police was chargesheeted by the then inspector Dhanapalan. The trial in the case started on May 13, 2022, and the final hearing was held on December 19, 2023. The prosecution examined 78 witnesses and produced 134 documents and 34 pieces of material evidence. Special prosecutor P.A. Bindu and advocate Sarun Mangara appeared for the prosecution.
