73 year old man gets 13 years jail for abusing two minors

Thiruvananthapuram: A 73 -year -old man has been sentenced to 13 years in prison and fined 1.5 lakh rupees for sexually abusing two ten- year -old girls. The Thiruvananthapuram Fast Track Special Court Judge, Anju Meera Birla, delivered the verdict against Vijayan, a resident of Kunnumpuram, Mudavanmugal, in connection with two separate cases.

In one case, he was sentenced to ten years of rigorous imprisonment and fined one lakh rupees, while in the other, he received three years and a fine of fifty thousand rupees. Failure to pay the fines will result in an additional one-and-a-half years of imprisonment. The fine amount and compensation directed by the Legal Services Authority are to be handed over to the victims.

The incidents occurred between 2021 and 2022. The accused operated a grocery shop at Mudavanmugal, where he repeatedly abused the children who came to buy household items. Fearing retaliation, the girls initially kept silent. It was only when their parents urged them to visit the shop again that the children confided in each other and later disclosed the ordeal to a relative, who then lodged a police complaint.

Special Public Prosecutor R S Vijay Mohan appeared for the prosecution. The investigation was led by then Cantonment Assistant Commissioner V S Dinaraj and Sub-Inspector V P Praveen.