Kottayam: Six persons were found guilty in the Poovarani sex scandal case by the Kottayam additional district and sessions court-1 on Thursday. Six other accused were acquitted as the prosecution could not prove the rape charges as the victim is no more. The prosecution case was that an 8th standard student, a native of Poovarani near Pala, was lured by a relative and trafficked for prostitution from August 2007 to May 2008.
She was infected with AIDS and died in the government medical college in Theni on May 5, 2008. Those found guilty by special judge K. Babu are the first to six accused-- Lizy of Ayarkkunnam, Jomini of Theekoyi, Jyothish of Poonjar, Thankamany of Poonjar Thekkekara, Satheesh Kumar of Thrikkaruva in Kollam and Rakhi of Parakattu in Thrissur.
The acquitted are the seventh to 11th accused-- Shan K. Devassia of Payippad, Joby Joseph of Payippad, Dayanandan of Thiruvananthapuram, Ullas of Neyyattinkara , Joshy of Kottayam and Binu Augustine. Tenth accused Ullas committed suicide during the trial.
The sentence will be pronounced on Friday, the judge said. According to the prosecution, the girl was taken by Lizy for prostitution to various places, including Kanyakumary, Kumarakom boat house, Thiruvalla, Ramapuram and Thiruvananthapuram.
The girl was admitted to the Kottayam medical college hospital and later to the Theni government medical college hospital. She told her mother about the sexual harassment while undergoing treatment at the Kottayam medical college hospital. The mother filed a complaint before the district police chief, Kottayam, and the Changanassery police registered a case in 2008.
Mr T. Bijoy, the then DYSP, Kottayam, investigated the case and presented the chargesheet before the court. The court cross-examined 127 witnesses. The accused were charged with abduction, raping and selling the minor girl. Special public prosecutor N. Gopalakrishnan appeared for the prosecution and Suresh Babu Thomas , Boban T. Thekkel for the accused.
