RAJU Vs. STATE OF KERALA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) This appeal is directed against the conviction of the appellant and the sentence imposed on him in S.C.No.589 of 2014 on the files of the Additional Sessions Court-1, Alappuzha. The appellant is the sole accused in the case.

(2.) The accusation against the accused in the case is that the accused used to beat his daughter, the victim with dangerous weapons while she was a juvenile; that the accused also committed rape on her at their residence on several occasions right from her childhood and that the last occurrence of sexual assault took place on 30/8/2013. The offences alleged were offences punishable under Ss. 323, 324, 376(2)(f) and 376(2)(n) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Sec. 23 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000.

(3.) On the accused pleading not guilty of the charges framed against him, the prosecution examined 12 witnesses as PW1 to PW12 and proved 16 documents as Exts.P1 to P16. The prosecution has also caused the witnesses examined on its side to identify MO1 to MO3 material objects. The report of the forensic science laboratory proved by the prosecution was marked in the proceedings as Ext.C1.