Life Imprisonment to former TD leader in minor girl's suicide case

Vijayawada: The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) court on Wednesday sentenced former Telugu Desam leader Vinod Jain, 50, to life imprisonment for abetting the suicide of a minor girl.

Judge S. Rajini also imposed a fine of ₹3 lakh on Jain. The conviction by the speed trial court came 15 months after the incident.

The 14-year-old girl committed suicide by jumping off the fifth floor of her apartment building in the Bhavanipuram on January 29, 2022. She was unable to bear the sexual harassment by her neighbour Vinod Jain, the case sheet said.

The victim was studying at a corporate school in Labbipet. She had left a suicide note, in which read, “Vinod Jain was sexually harassing me and behaving indecently for the last couple of months.”

Following massive protests, the Bhavanipuram police arrested Vinod Jain and booked him under the POCSO Act. A trial was held in POCSO speed triall court, to which the city police commissioner Kanti Tata referred the case.

Jain would have to pay ₹2,40,000 from the fine to the family of the victim. Twenty witnesses were examined in the case.