Father sentenced to death for raping, murdering nine-year-old daughter

RAMANATHAPURAM: The Ramanathapuram sessions court has awarded capital punishment to a man for sexually assaulting and murdering his nine-year-old daughter. The man, identified as Maari, hailing from Karaiyur in Rameswaram was married to Thanusha Banu and the couple has eight children.

Sources said, owing to some dispute, the couple was living separately. Thanusha Banu has been staying in her relative’s house in Nallupannai near Thangachimadam with her two children, including the nine-year-old daughter, who fell prey to her father’s sexual advances.   

On April 23, 2013, Maari came to Nallupannai and took the nine-year-old daughter along with him in the pretext of buying eatables. After sexually assaulting her, Maari killed his daughter and dumped her body in the sea.

Acting on a complaint from the girl’s mother, Rameshwaram Temple police registered a case and subsequently, the girl’s body was recovered. Later the case was transferred to Rameswaram Jetty Police.
During investigation, police found that the girl had injury marks on her body and upon further investigation the police arrested Maari after two years, in 2015 .

The case was being tried at Ramanathapuram Mahila Court. Based on the evidence produced by the prosecution, the chargesheet was filed against Maari before the Fast Track Mahila Court. On Friday District Sessions Judge A Kayalvizhi,  incharge of Fast Track Mahila Court, convicted Maari and awarded capital punishment to him.

The sessions judge also awarded two life sentences to the convict on charges of abduction and for outraging the modesty of the minor girl. This apart, the judge also slapped a fine of `10,000, failing to which, Maari has to spend one more year behind bars.