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Time of India
6 days ago
- Time of India
Boy's testimony jails elderly siddha doctor for 20 years in Pocso case
Chennai: The case was cracked not with forensics or CCTV footage, but with the testimony of a boy who refused to forget something he saw when he was just seven years old. Every morning, the boy and his eight-year-old friend, who lived above a Siddha clinic on a quiet Chennai street, would help the elderly doctor open up his clinic. For their efforts, he would hand them a rupee or two, maybe a chocolate. It was a routine they came to enjoy — until one day in May 2022, it turned into something else. The boy walked in on the doctor assaulting a girl. He ran home and told his mother. You Can Also Check: Chennai AQI | Weather in Chennai | Bank Holidays in Chennai | Public Holidays in Chennai Word reached the girl's family quickly. But what followed was anything but straightforward. Instead of taking the child to the police, the doctor's own daughter — also a Siddha practitioner — secretly took the girl to a hospital to assess her. Doctors there confirmed injuries. When the families came to know, it exploded into a heated confrontation between the women. Eventually, the girl's family lodged a police complaint. He was booked under the Prevention of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act. Still, the trial at the city's Pocso court rested on a fragile thread. The only eyewitness was the boy. His family, fearing backlash and court visits, left the neighbourhood overnight. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Mucus in Lungs? Do This if You Feel Breathlessness Neuracare Learn More Undo For a while, it seemed the case might collapse. S Anitha, special public prosecutor, said, "But police tracked the parents through their mobile number and convinced them to bring the boy back. In court, the child stood firm. His testimony sealed the fate of the now 63-year-old doctor." The court on July 4, sentenced the man to 20 years in prison — based on the words of a boy who saw and spoke the truth. Judge S Padma, who penalised the siddha practitioner 10,000, ordered the Tamil Nadu govt to pay 2,00,000 as compensation to the survivor child.
Time of India
28-04-2025
- Time of India
How a casual call from abroad helped uncover child sexual abuse in Tamil Nadu and led to 20-year jail sentence for father
CHENNAI: A casual phone call from her aunt abroad exposed the sexual abuse a young girl in Chennai had been facing and last week a trial court sentenced her father to 20 years in jail. In April 2018, while the then five-year-old girl's mother was away at work, her father sexually abused the child while helping her bathe. You Can Also Check: Chennai AQI | Weather in Chennai | Bank Holidays in Chennai | Public Holidays in Chennai Initial complaints by the child led to frequent fights between the parents, prompting her to remain silent to avoid further discord. However, her mother later realised that the abuse continued in her absence. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Gentle Japanese hair growth method for men and women's scalp Hair's Rich Learn More Undo She sent the child to a relative's house . There, a casual call from the mother's elder sister changed everything. During the conversation, the child told her aunt she was 'finally happy' as she no longer faced 'torture'. Alarmed, the aunt gently questioned her further, and the child narrated her ordeal at home. The aunt immediately flew down to Tamil Nadu, took the child to a hospital, and medical tests confirmed physical injuries. Poll Do you think the outcome of this case will encourage more victims to speak out? No, it may deter them due to fear Yes, it sets a positive example APOCSO case was filed, and the father was arrested. The girl had retracted statements While the trial was on, the mother moved Madras high court in 2023 and secured custody of the child, even as the trial court denied the father bail citing the child's testimony, according to special public prosecutor S Anitha. Over the next year, the mother allegedly tutored the child to retract her earlier statements. Though the court allowed the girl weekly visits to her aunt, custody remained with the mother. When the criminal case came up for hearing last week, the girl, who earlier detailed the abuse, stunned the court by claiming that 'nothing happened'. She said she wanted her family, including her father, to live together. Despite the child reversing her statement, the trial court relied on the medical evidence and her original statement. Judge M Rajalakshmi sentenced the father to 20 years imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh.
New Indian Express
27-04-2025
- New Indian Express
Dad gets 20-year jail term for sexual assault of child in Chennai
CHENNAI: A man was convicted under the Pocso Act and sentenced to 20-years rigorous imprisonment for sexually assaulting his minor daughter in Chennai. Special judge for Pocso Act cases M Rajalakshmi pronounced the orders recently in the case registered by an All Women Police Station in South Chennai. The accused was found guilty under Section 6 of Pocso Act. He was also fined Rs 1 lakh, and failure to pay which will result in simple imprisonment for 3 more months. The period of incarceration already undergone will be adjusted against the sentence. Special public prosecutor S Anitha appeared for the prosecution. The convict committed the offence from June 1 to October 14, 2023. He used to misbehave with the child under the guise of bathing her and also assaulted her when she was alone at home, as her mother would go out for work, according to the prosecution. The victim had informed her mother of the incident but she ignored it. Later, she informed her maternal aunt when she was staying with her grandmother in their native village. The prosecution told the court that after the child welfare committee was informed, the victim was taken for a medical examination which confirmed the sexual assault. Following a complaint, the FIR was registered against the father and mother. However, the mother was dropped from the case following an order of the HC on a petition filed by her.
