Kerala POCSO Court Sentences Man to 20 Years for Repeated Rape of Minor Girl
A special POCSO court in Thiruvananthapuram has sentenced a 21-year-old man to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment for repeatedly raping a minor girl after trespassing into her family houses on two separate occasions.
Sujith alias Chakkara has been convicted for the offences under section 4(2) read with section 3(a), section 6(1) read with section 5(l) of the POCSO Act, section 376(2)(n), section 376(3), section 450 of IPC.
The survivor, who was 15 years old at the time of the offence, belongs to a Scheduled Caste community, and her testimony was found credible by the court. The girl's parents had separated.
According to the prosecution, Sujith entered the house of the survivor’s mother on the night of September 6, 2021, and remained concealed in her bedroom for eight consecutive days, during which he sexually assaulted her multiple times. Later, on September 21, he entered her father's house at 4 am and again raped her. He was discovered hiding under the bed in the girl’s room by her father and was handed over to the police.
The prosecution examined 27 witnesses and produced over 30 documents in support of its case. While the forensic science laboratory confirmed the presence of semen and human spermatozoa on the bedsheet recovered from the scene, the DNA sample was insufficient to conclusively link it to the accused. However, court held that the survivor’s consistent and detailed testimony, along with corroborating witness accounts and circumstantial evidence, were sufficient to establish the crime beyond reasonable doubt.
Court noted that the accused had groomed the minor, exploited her family situation, and even instigated her to file a POCSO case against her stepfather. “Even if it were to be seen that the doors had been opened to him by PW1(the girl), his grooming of PW1 to do the same would take away the aspect of a lawful entry into the said houses,” the court observed.
The accused pleaded for leniency citing his young age, responsibility towards a dependent wife, a one-and-a-half-year-old child, and ailing grandmother. However, court rejected the plea, observing that the gravity of the offence and its prolonged nature demanded strict punishment.
He was awarded 20 years' rigorous imprisonment and Rs. 15,000 fine under Section 6(1) of the POCSO Act, and another 20 years and Rs. 15,000 fine under Section 376(3) IPC. Additionally, he was sentenced to 10 years under Section 450 IPC for house trespass. All sentences are to run concurrently.
Court also directed that the fine amount be paid to the survivor as compensation and made a recommendation under Section 357A of the CrPC to the District Legal Services Authority for further compensation as per applicable rules and schemes.
Court ordered that the material evidence including the bedsheet and clothing be destroyed after the appeal period. The accused was granted set-off for the 209 days he spent in custody during the investigation and trial.
The judgment was delivered by Special Judge Anju Meera Birla on July 28, 2025. Special Public Prosecutor Vijay Mohan represented the State and Adv. Anoop Chandran represented the accused.
Case Title: Sujith @ Chakkara vs State
Order Date: July 28, 2025
Judge: Special Judge Anju Meera Birla