Namakkal: The Namakkal district Mahila court on Tuesday convicted and sentenced five persons to life term for allegedly sexually assaulting a young woman under the cover of darkness three years ago near Namagiripettai.
The Mahila court judge, Mr. P Elango, on completion of trial in his order today, sentenced the main accused Jayasurya to life term and slammed a fine of Rs 16,000 on him. The judge also sentenced four other accused in the case - Ganesh Kumar, Ajit, Billa and Rajesh to life plus a fine of Rs 2,000 on each.
The prosecution case was that the woman victim, whose name was given as Sarala (33), hailing from Nerur in Karur district, had been separated from her husband, Mr. Chellakumar, some years back and their two children were living at her mother’s place.
Meanwhile, Sarala had developed a relationship with one Balakumar and they had been living together near Namakkal, the prosecution said. Both were working in a sago factory at Oduvankuruchi near Namagiripettai in the district and had taken a house on rent nearby.
On March 15, 2015, the prosecution said, both were returning home after the day’s work at the factory around 10-30 pm, when five persons waylaid them, attacked Balakumar, sexually assaulted the poor helpless woman and sped away.
Sarala had swooned at the spot and on regaining consciousness the next day had with the help of the local people, filed a complaint at the Namagiripettai police station, the prosecution said. But there was allegedly some delay in the local police taking up the investigation. Sarala herself left for her mother’s place for some time, after she was allegedly threatened by a local political functionary.
However, with the villagers pursuing the matter with higher police officials, the investigation proceeded and Sarala was called back for a medical examination at the Salem government hospital where police took her testimony.
and on the basis of which a case was registered and the five accused persons arrested.
