Man sentenced to cumulative 51-yr imprisonment for raping stepdaughter

A 40-year-old man was convicted and sentenced to a cumulative 51 years imprisonment by a Kerala court on Wednesday for the rape of his then 17-year-old stepdaughter in 2018 at their residence in Munnar.
Devikulam Fast Track Special Court (POCSO) judge Sirajudheen P A handed down varying jail terms to the accused for offences under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and the IPC, totaling 51 years, said special public prosecutor (SPP) Smiju K Das.

However, the man will serve 20 years in prison as sentences have to be served concurrently, which was the highest jail term announced by the judge. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 1.55 lakh on the convict, which shall be given to the victim.
Furthermore, the court recommended compensation to be provided to the victim as per the Victim Compensation Scheme and directed the same to the District Legal Services Authority, Idukki-Thodupuzha.The girl was raped on three separate days in November 2018 when her mother was not at home, the prosecutor said.

The stepfather, who was 34-years-old at the time of the incident, had also intimidated the victim by threatening to kill her and her mother if she disclosed the crime to anybody, the SPP stated.