Kerala court sends man to jail for life for 'raping' impregnating disabled girl

Idukki (Kerala), May 13 (PTI) A Kerala court on Tuesday sentenced a 53-year-old man to life in jail for raping and impregnating a mentally challenged girl near the Muthirappuzha river here where she went to bathe regularly.
    Painavu Fast Track Court Judge Laijumol Sherif sentenced Lenin Kumar, a resident of Konnathady village in Idukki district, to triple life imprisonment under three separate provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and directed that he be imprisoned till death, Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) Shijo Mon Joseph said.
    The court also imposed a fine of Rs 5.35 lakh on the accused and said that if the amount was recovered from him, it should be given to the victim.
    It also directed the District Legal Service Authority to provide adequate compensation to the girl, the SPP said.
    The incident occurred in 2020.
    According to the prosecution, due to a lack of proper water supply at their home, the girl and her family used to go to the river for washing and bathing.
    The accused befriended the family and raped the child behind a rock on the river bank, the prosecution told the court.
    The crime was revealed when the child was taken to the hospital due to physical discomfort, and it was found that she was pregnant, the SPP said.
    The hospital authorities informed the police, and it registered a case against the accused.
    The court, during trial, examined 21 witnesses and 28 documents to arrive at a finding of guilt on the part of the accused, the SPP said.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)