MURUGAN Vs. STATE REP. BY INSPECTOR OF POLICE

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The sole accused in the present appeal has assailed the judgement passed by the Fast Track Mahila Court, Theni, in Special S.C.No.27 of 2020, dtd. 31/7/2023, wherein the appellant has been convicted for offence under Sec. 5(l) read with Sec. 6 of the "Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012" (hereinafter referred to as "Act" for brevity) and sentenced to undergo life imprisonment and to pay a fine of Rs.1000.00, in default to undergo one month simple imprisonment and was also convicted for offence under Sec. 506 of IPC and sentenced to undergo one month simple imprisonment. The sentences were directed to run concurrently.

(2.) The case of the prosecution is that the appellant, who was aged about 40 years, called the victim girl, who was aged about 13 years, to the house of one Balaji on 18/1/2020 at 2.00 PM and committed penetrative sexual assault on her. He also threatened the victim girl not to disclose the occurrence to anyone. The further case of the prosecution is that the appellant repeatedly committed the said offence and once again threatened the victim girl on 16/2/2020 not to reveal about the same to anyone.

(3.) The incident came to light and PW1, who is the mother of the victim girl, gave a complaint (Exhibit P6) to PW11 based on which an FIR came to be registered in Crime No.125 of 2020 (Exhibit P7) for offences under Sec. 5(l) r/w 6 of the Act and Sec. 506(1) of IPC.