The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has upheld life sentence imposed by a trial court on a man from Theni district for sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl in 2015. The court directed the State government to pay a compensation of ₹5 lakh to the girl.
The court was hearing an appeal preferred by the man against the judgment of the Theni Mahila Court, which in 2019 sentenced him to life imprisonment for offences under the IPC and the POCSO Act. The case of the prosecution is that the appellant, a Caste Hindu, had lured the Class X girl student, who belonged to a Scheduled Caste, developed intimacy with her on the promise of marrying her and left her in the lurch. The girl became pregnant.
After the girl’s mother learnt about it, she approached an activist and with her help lodged a police complaint. The police booked the man under the relevant Sections of the IPC and the POCSO Act. The trial court convicted the appellant. The girl underwent abortion.
A Division Bench of…