Kerala High Court Upholds 10-Year Jail Term in POCSO Assault Case
Kerala High Court upheld a 10-year sentence for Reji, convicted under POCSO for assaulting a minor in Alappuzha in 2014.
The Kerala High Court has confirmed the conviction and ten-year prison sentence of a 47-year-old man from Alappuzha found guilty of sexually assaulting a minor girl. Justice A Badharudeen dismissed the appeal filed by the accused, Reji, thereby upholding the trial court's verdict and ordering the cancellation of his bail bond.
The case stems from an incident on November 17, 2014, when the victim, then a 17-year-old student, was at her residence in Veliyanadu Panchayath. Prosecutors said Reji pulled the girl into the courtyard, tied her hands to a tree root, and assaulted her. The victim stayed silent out of fear, during which time the abuse continued.
The matter surfaced in late 2015 after the victim confided in her aunt. A confrontation between her father and Reji reportedly led to a fight and a subsequent police complaint. The victim then gave a formal statement, resulting in Reji's arrest under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code.
In February 2025, the Alappuzha Special POCSO Court sentenced Reji to ten years of simple imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 50,000. He appealed to the High Court, arguing that he was falsely implicated due to personal enmity. The defence also highlighted the delay in filing the complaint and pointed to evidence suggesting a prior romantic relationship.
Rejecting these arguments, Justice Badharudeen observed that minor discrepancies regarding the description of trees at the scene did not weaken the prosecution's case, as the investigation had recorded the presence of tree roots in the courtyard. The court found the victim's testimony reliable and consistent.
Addressing the defence's claim of a relationship, the court noted that consent or a romantic connection holds no legal weight when the victim is a minor. Finding no grounds to interfere with the trial court's decision, the High Court upheld the conviction and the statutory minimum sentence.