Chennai: The Mahila Court in Chennai on Monday sentenced a 39-year- old shopkeeper to 16 years rigorous imprisonment(RI) for sexually abusing his daughter for several years and also slapped a fine of Rs 25,000 on him.
Although witnesses and relatives of the man turned hostile during the trial, judge Meena Satheesh pronounced the sentence based on the evidence submitted by the prosecution.
M. Sivakumar, who ran a sports store in North Chennai, was found guilty of sexually harassing his daughter for several years after giving her a soft drink laced with sedatives.
In 2010, he reportedly called her on the phone to tell her that he was in love with her and to warn her not to disclose this to her mother.
In 2011, the girl who had joined a course in a reputed college in Chennai, attempted suicide and later, when speaking of her experience to her younger sister, learnt that she too had undergone similar trauma at the hands of their father.
On receiving a complaint, the police registered a case against Sivakumar under sections 376, 506 (ii), and 354 of the IPC and section 4 of the Tamil Nadu Prevention of Women Harassment Act. He was arrested him on February 2, 2011.
The prosecution submitted audio and video footages as well as phone call details to prove its case in court.
Based on the evidence, the judge sentenced Sivakumar to 10-years RI for sexually abusing his daughter, another three years RI for an offence under section 354 and three more years for commiting an offence under section 4 of the TNPWHA.
