Chennai: Eight people including have been sentenced to life imprisonment for raping and pushing a teenage girl into prostitution. Besides, a police inspector, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) office-bearer and a journalist were among 13 people who were handed 20 years’ jail term. A court handling the cases related to Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act passed the order.
The court convicted all 21 accused in the case on September 15 and announced the sentence on Monday. Apart from the jail term, presiding officer of the court Rajalakshmi asked the government to pay Rs 5 lakh to the girl, and a fine amount of Rs 2 lakh imposed on 21 accused will also be given to her, the judge said.
The step father and the stepmother of the girl were also the convicts. An inspector C Puigalendhi who has been suspended was attached to ennore police station. A BJP office bearer G Rajendran and a journalist Vinobaji working for a private media channel were handed 20 years jail term. The All-Woman Police in Washermenpet against 26 people after a complaint from the girl’s mother in November 2020. Four of 26 accused were at large and one died during the trial. Therefore, the case was split and 12 accused were prosecuted.
