Man gets life term for sexually assaulting daughter

COIMBATORE: District Mahila court sentenced a 50-year-old man to undergo life imprisonment on Thursday for sexually assaulting his daughter. The accused, a native of Vikramasingapuram in Tirunelveli district, worked in the Valparai tea estate. He used to stay with his wife and his daughter. He got a divorce from his wife and went back to Vikramasingapuram , leaving his daughter with her mother and married another woman.

Meanwhile, his 17-year-old daughter wanted to meet him in 2011, and hence she was brought to Tirunelveli where the man attempted to molest her. Later, he took her to Valparai and kept her in confinement in few tea estates, where he sexually assaulted her many times for three months because of which she became pregnant. But, he didn't tell his ex-wife that their daughter was with him. The ex-wife filed a missing persons' complaint with the police, following which the police traced the girl.

The girl then told her mother about the sexual assault, following which she lodged a complaint with Tirunelveli police.  After an investigation, the police transferred the case to Valparai police, who booked the accused under various sections. The accused was arrested in 2018, but he got bail in 2020 and was absconding. Later, he was arrested again. The trial was held before the district Mahila court. B Jisha, the special public prosecutor appeared on behalf of the girl. Judge R Nandhinidevi pronounced the verdict on Thursday and sentenced him to life imprisonment. A penalty of Rs 2,000 was also imposed on him.