On Monday, a Kerala Court convicted a man, a former madarsa instructor, to three life sentences for repeatedly sexually assaulting and impregnating his minor daughter. According to special public prosecutor (SPP) A Somasundaran, Manjeri Fast Track Special Court judge Rajesh K, convicted the accused of rape, penetrative sexual assault, and victim intimidation under the Indian Penal Code and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
The accused was given three life sentences for committing the POCSO Act offences, and the court ordered that he be imprisoned for the remainder of his natural life, the SPP stated. The court is also said to have imposed a fine of Rs 6.6 lakh on the culprit.
The accused reportedly raped his girl for the first time in March 2021, whilst no one was at home. The 15-year-old girl was studying at home due to the COVID-19 outbreak when her father forced her into his bedroom and assaulted her.
After the victim objected, the accused threatened to kill the girl’s mother. The assault continued to take place until October 2021. The accused, a former madrasa instructor, continued to rape his daughter on several occasions when nobody would be home.
After COVID limitations were relaxed in November 2021, the child returned to school. After a few days, she complained of stomach pain and was taken to the doctor, but nothing was found wrong with her. She complained of discomfort again in January 2022 and was sent to a government hospital for a check-up, where it was revealed that she was pregnant, according to the SPP.
She shared her ordeal then about her father raping her. Following that, a case was filed against the accused, and he was arrested. A DNA test later revealed that the girl’s father was the perpetrator. The victim’s pregnancy was medically terminated.
