Sivaganga (Tamil Nadu) A special court here on Friday awarded death penalty to a 45-year-old man for sexually assaulting five minor girls, describing the act as a “rarest of rare crime”.
The convict, identified as Chandran, a woodcutter from a village near Singampunari, was also ordered to pay a fine of Rs 11,000.
The judge directed the state government to provide Rs seven lakh each to the five victims.
According to the prosecution, the crimes took place over a week-long period starting February 4, 2024. Chandran, whose wife was away at the time to assist their daughter with childbirth, lured the children, all aged around 10, into his house while they were playing in the neighbourhood.
The court was informed that the convict enticed the children by showing them obscene videos on his mobile phone and offering them snacks before sexually assaulting them.
The matter came to light after one of the victims told her mother, who then informed her husband. Based on a complaint filed by the girl’s father, the Thiruppathur All Women Police registered a case and arrested Chandran.
Pronouncing the verdict, the Sivaganga POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act) Fast Track Court judge observed that the premeditated nature of the crime against five minors justified the maximum punishment. PTI JR JR SA
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