CUDDALORE: The Cuddalore district special court for cases filed under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act sentenced two persons to life-term till death for sexually assaulting a minor girl in a two-year-old case.
According to sources, G Thilagar (34) and K Jaishankar (49), both from a village near Sethiyathopu in the district, allegedly sexually assaulted a 14-year-old girl on February 12, 2019. The duo also threatened her not to inform anyone about the same. Later, the girl had tried to kill herself, but recovered post treatment.
Based on a complaint filed at the Sethiyathopu police station, the duo was booked under Sections 5 (aggravated penetrative assault), 5(g) (whoever commits gang penetrative sexual assault on a child), and 6 (punishment for aggravated penetrative sexual assault) of the POCSO Act, and Sections 323 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt), 366 (A) (procuration of minor girl) and 376 (punishment for rape) of the IPC.
Pronouncing the judgment on Wednesday afternoon, judge M Ezhilarasi said life imprisonment for both the convicted will be till their death by nature. The judge also ordered the Cuddalore District Collector to give the girl a compensation of `10 lakh within 30 days, considering her future.
Generally, after 14 years, life-term prisoners are eligible for a remission from the State government. However, in a rare order, this trial court has said no remission at all until their deaths. The full copy of the order was not available at the time of the edition to know the court’s reasoning for such a rare sentence.