Rs 2 lakh relief given to sexual assault victim

The court also sentenced the 29-year-old accused to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment (RI) for sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl near Tharangambadi. 

In May 2012, Nagarathinam (29), an agricultural labourer hailing from Anaikovil village near Tharangambadi sexually assaulted a 15-year-old girl near his house while she was alone. The girl did not inform her parents as the accused had threatened her of dire consequences. However, the physical changes of the girl and deteriorating health conditions, led the parents to find something had gone wrong with her. Subsequently, the girl, on her parents’ insistance, revealed the details of the attack and told them who the attacker was. 

Later, her parents lodged a complaint with Porayar police who registered a case and arrested Nagarathinam and the case was in progress with the Mahila court in Nagapattinam.

Meanwhile, the minor victim who became pregnant as a result of the sexual assault, had also delivered a baby.

In the meantime, the case came up for final hearing on Friday evening. The judge Selva Sundari who heard the case pronounced the accused Nagarathinam guilty of committing the crime, and apparently sentenced him to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs 50,000 which should be given to the victim. She also ordered the state government to provide a compensation of Rs 2 lakh to the victim and her child. Nagarathinam was later, lodged in the prison.