Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (SP)
Udupi, Dec 10: The fast track court for Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act cases here has sentenced a person found guilty of raping his 17-year-old sister-in-law within the limits of Byndoor police station in the year 2018. He has also been fined Rs 20,000 with the rider that in case of failure to pay fine, he will be behind the bars for another year.
The person who was sentenced in this case happens to be Suresh Marathi (29). He had taken the sister of his wife into the forest area where he had built a temporary hut and raped her thrice. The girl had complained to the Byndoor police about the incident, and Marathi was arrested under the POCSO Act. After finding that the charges leveled against him were proved, district additional and sessions judge, Kalpana Yermal, announced the quantum of sentence on Thursday December 9.
The then police circle inspector at Byndoor, Parameshwar Gunaga, had investigated the case and filed charge sheet. Out of 25 listed witnesses, 15 were examined. In the meantime, in October 2018, when Marathi was produced in the POCSO court Udupi and was being taken back to Karwar jail by train, he had escaped from the police near Byndoor station after acting like suffering from nausea. He remained at large for two years before surrendering in court six months ago. As he had influenced the witnesses during this period, the aggrieved girl and other leading witnesses had turned hostile and given adverse witnesses in the court. But based on the statement made by the investigating officer on the basis of medical evidence and circumstantial evidence, the court concluded that Suresh was guilty.