Man sentenced to double life term for raping and marrying minor girl in Tamil Nadu

COIMBATORE: The Tirupur district mahila court on Wednesday sentenced a man to a double life imprisonment for raping and marrying a minor girl near Udumalpet in 2016.
The man, who was 24 years when the incident happened, is a relative of the girl, who was 14 years then. The man entered the residence of the minor girl while she was taking bath and raped her. Following the incident, his parents and his aunt allegedly threatened the girl’s parents and forced them to arrange the marriage between him and their daughter.
The marriage between the man and the minor girl took place at her residence on February 17, 2016. Later, the girl’s mother approached Udumalpet all- woman police who registered a case against the man under sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, the Indian Penal Code and the prohibition of Child Marriage Act.
The man’s parents, his aunt and the girl’s parents were also booked by the police under the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act. The police filed a chargesheet before the district mahila court.
Mahila court judge V P Sugandhi pronounced the judgment on Wednesday. The judge sentenced the man to a double life term under the POCSO Act, seven years rigorous imprisonment for criminally intimidating the minor girl and two years rigorous imprisonment for child marriage. The court slapped a fine of Rs 30,000 on him. His parents were sentenced to two years rigorous imprisonment for conducting the child marriage.
The girl’s parents and the man’s aunt were acquitted. The court directed the state government to pay a compensation of Rs 4 lakh to the girl.