THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A fast-track court in the district has sentenced a 55-year-old man to seven years rigorous imprisonment (RI) and penalized Rs 40,000 for molesting a 16-year-old girl. The incident happened on April 24, 2020.
The arrested has been identified as Chinna Durai of Onnam Puthen Theruvu at Fort. Non-payment of fine will attract another one year and three months in the jail term. The judge, R Sudarsanan, also directed to pay Rs 30,000 from the penalty to the victim.
The Thoothukudi-based man was working in a textile shop in the district when the incident took place. He was living on rent near the house of the minor girl in Puthen Theruvu.
While the girl and her brother were playing hide and seek, the convict asked the girl to hide in his house and molested her when she entered inside.
Hearing the noise of the girl, her parents reached the house and informed the East Fort police.
He was arrested on the same day itself and remanded after producing before a court. He was in jail throughout the trial period and it has been deducted from the jail term in the verdict.
Special public prosecutor R S Vijay Mohan pleaded for the prosecution.
(The victim's identity has not been revealed to protect her privacy as per Supreme Court directives on cases related to sexual assault)
