Youth sexually abuses minor girl with connivance of mother-in-law, gets 27 years RI

THRISSUR: A court awarded 27 years of rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 2 lakh to a youth for sexually abusing a minor girl with connivance of his mother-in-law. Arun (32) of Mulayam Koottala Kochuparambil and his mother-in-law Sharmila (48) of Mandamangalam Moozhimala were convicted in the POCSO Case. If they fail to pay the fine, they will have to undergo three more months jail term. The quantum of sentence was pronounced by the fast track special POCSO Court in Thrissur.

Arun sexually abused the girl at their relative’s house. She was forced to consume liquor. Sharmila supported him in the act. The case was registered by the Mannuthy police.

Meantime, the court awarded eight years rigorous imprisonment to a former pujari of Krishna Swamy Temple in Subhash Nagar for trying to sexually abuse a tenth-class girl when she came to the temple. A fine of Rs 35,000 was also imposed. POCSO court judge M P Shibu convicted Maniyappan Pillai (55) of Balaramapuram Kallummoodu Lalitha Bhavan, now residing in Peringamala Karthika Bhavan.

The girl and her mother came to the temple before the start of her tenth exams. As the temple was closed then, they could not do the archana. The next day the girl came alone. He made the girl sit there till the other devotees left the temple. He made her sit there on the pretext of examining her horoscope.

He then took her to his room in the temple and tried to abuse her. She ran out screaming in fear. The incident happened in 2020. The court accepted the prosecution’s argument that the accused who tried to abuse the girl does not deserve any pardon. Special public prosecutor Kattaikonam J K Ajith Prasad appeared for the prosecution.