(1.) This appeal is directed against the conviction of the appellant and the sentence imposed on him in S.C.No.284 of 2015 on the files of the I Additional Sessions Court, Thrissur. The appellant is the sole accused in the case.
(2.) The accusation against the accused is that on a day during April 2014, at about 10.00 a.m, the accused who was the priest in the church where the family of the victim girl aged below 12 years used to offer prayers, has committed aggravated penetrative sexual assault on her and thus committed offences punishable under Section 376(2)(f) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Section 3(a) read with Section 4 and Sections 5(f) and 5(m) read with Section 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 (the Act).
(3.) On the accused pleading not guilty of the charges framed against him, the prosecution examined 10 witnesses as PWs 1 to 10 and proved 15 documents as Exts.P1 to P15. The accused was thereupon questioned by the Court under Section 313 of the Code of Criminal Procedure(Code) as regards the incriminating evidence brought out by the prosecution. The accused denied the same and maintained that he is innocent. Since the trial court did not consider the case to be one fit for acquittal under Section 232 of the Code, the accused was called upon to enter on his defence. The accused did not adduce any evidence.