Kodai court delivers judgment in 4 days

CHENNAI: In what is considered to be one of the fastest verdicts in a sexual harassment case, a court in Kodaikanal sentenced two accused to seven years imprisonment in only the fourth day of trial and within ten days of the incident.

“It certainly is among the quickest in the State and might be one of the fastest in the country too,” assistant public prosecutor C Kumaresan told DT Next.

The victim, a 28-year-old woman, who runs a resort in Kookal village in Kodaikanal was subjected to sexual harassment by two men on February 4, who intercepted her SUV on the pretext of seeking a lift around 7 pm while she was returning to Kookal from Kodaikanal. The victim was saved in the nick of time by passersby.

Police, who registered a case the next day, arrested the two, K Jeeva (22) and N Balamurugan of Kodaikanal, and filed a chargesheet before the judicial magistrate on February 7.

Trial in the case commenced on February 10 and on February 13, Judicial magistrate-2, K Karthik sentenced the accused to seven years imprisonment. The prosecution had charged them under various sections of IPC including sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 354 (A) (sexual harassment) and section 4 of the TNPWH (Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Women Harassment) Act.

According to the prosecution, the incident happened around 7 pm when the victim was driving back to her resort from Kodaikanal. The accused, who were trailing her SUV on a two-wheeler, intercepted it and claimed their bike ran out of petrol and demanded that she give a lift. When the woman refused, the duo started verbally abusing her and got into the vehicle. They pulled her hair and physically assaulted her, causing injuries.

When locals came to the rescue of the woman, the duo abandoned their two-wheeler (TN 58 BW 3936) and fled.

When the trial commenced on February 10, the prosecution side produced nine witnesses.

After perusing the submissions including the witness statements, judicial magistrate K Karthik held that the prosecution has proved the charges.

The accused were sentenced to three years under sections 354 (a) and section 4 of the TNPWH Act, which are to be undergone separately and for one year under section 323. The court also slapped a fine of Rs 40,000 on the accused.