The first accused, Dilip Kumar, a married man residing at Bhoodana Paisari in Kambibane near Suntikoppa in Kodagu district, was booked for sexually assaulting a 16-year-old minor girl belonging to a Scheduled Caste community in Kallukore village, within the limits of Suntikoppa police station.
According to a press statement issued by Public Prosecutor Devendra N.P., the accused claimed to be in love with the girl, who was studying in First PUC at a college in Kushalnagar, and took her around in his car on more than 10 occasions during the day. He took her to a lodge in Kudige, Kushalnagar, owned by the second accused, Chandrappa, where he sexually assaulted her.
On February 10, 2024, Dilip Kumar purchased a fake thali chain from a shop and took the girl to the Sri Udbhava Subramanya Swamy Temple at Kudige village, where he tied the thali around her neck, thereby solemnising a child marriage, the statement said.
Later, at around 10.30 p.m. on March 9, 2024, the first accused allegedly abducted the girl while she was at home with her parents. He stopped the car at a junction on the way to an estate in Siddapura and sexually assaulted her inside the car before taking her to a house belonging to George Joseph at Madurakuppa, where he kept her with him.
After the girl’s parents realised that she was missing, they searched for her and subsequently lodged a complaint at Suntikoppa police station. The police traced and rescued the victim from the house at Madarakuppa, where the first accused was residing.
During the trial, Judge Mumtaz observed that the first accused had pretended to be in love with the minor girl, who belonged to a poor family, and had exploited her for his sexual gratification, the Public Prosecutor said.
The second accused, who provided a room at the lodge to the first accused, failed to discharge his responsibility by not verifying that the victim was a minor or obtaining the necessary documents, thereby enabling the first accused to sexually assault her, the statement said.
Based on the evidence produced by the prosecution, the court observed that protecting girls belonging to vulnerable sections of society, particularly minors, was a responsibility of the protection system and that the consent of a minor adolescent victim was not legally valid consent.
The court sentenced both accused to 20 years’ rigorous imprisonment each under the POCSO Act and relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code. It also imposed a fine of ₹1.6 lakh on the first accused and ₹25,000 on the second accused.
The court further ordered compensation to the victim in accordance with the rules and directed the Legal Services Authority to provide the compensation amount.