Man gets 10-yr RI for rape, wife also convicted

His 30-year-old wife was also found guilty of supporting her husband by not lodging a police complaint. 

The couple, P Raja Sethupathi and R Indira of Samathuvapuram at Neruperichal in Tirupur, have three sons and a daughter. Raja Sethupathi was a drunkard and he also sold his house to meet his drinking expenses a few years ago. The family then started living by the roadside at Neruperichal. Following the death of one of the boys, the couple pushed the two other sons into beggary. 

However, they allowed their eight-year-old girl, who was a class 3 student of a government school, to continue her education. It is learnt that at night Raja Sethupathi tied the little girl’s hands using cloth, gagged and raped her on multiple occasions. Despite the girl taking the issue to her mother’s notice, the latter ignored it and did not bother to lodge a police complaint. 

Unable to bear the sexual harassment by the father, the girl told her school head master, who alerted the Childline on January 26, 2015. Childline personnel rescued the girl and also lodged a complaint with the Tirupur North All Women Police. The police arrested the couple and lodged them in the Coimbatore Central Prison. The girl was later sent to a home in Tirupur. 

Raja Sethupathi and Indira were behind bars for more than 600 days as their bail pleas were repeatedly rejected by the court. The case was tried at the Tirupur District Mahila Court. On completion of the trial, the judge incharge A Muhamed Jiyaputheen convicted the couple on Tuesday. 

The man was sentenced to 10 years RI under sections 5 (l), 5(m), 5(n) and 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act. A fine of Rs 1,000 was slapped on him. Indira was sentenced to 10 years RI and imposed a fine of Rs 1,000 for charges proved under section 16 read with 17 of the POCSO Act and six months RI with a fine of Rs 500 for charges proved under section 19 read with 21 of POCSO Act.