Six guilty in Poovarani case

Kottayam: Six persons were found guilty in the  Poovarani sex scandal case  by the Kottayam additional district and sessions court-1 on Thursday. Six other accused  were acquitted as the prosecution could not prove the rape charges as the victim is no more. The prosecution case was that  an  8th standard student,  a native of Poovarani near Pala, was lured by a relative and trafficked  for prostitution  from August 2007  to May 2008. 

She was infected with AIDS and died in the government medical college in Theni  on May 5, 2008. Those found guilty by special judge  K. Babu are the first to six accused-- Lizy of Ayarkkunnam,  Jomini of Theekoyi,  Jyothish of Poonjar, Thankamany of Poonjar Thekkekara,  Satheesh Kumar of Thrikkaruva in Kollam  and Rakhi of Parakattu in Thrissur. 

The acquitted are the seventh to 11th  accused-- Shan K. Devassia of Payippad,  Joby Joseph of Payippad, Dayanandan of Thiruvananthapuram, Ullas of Neyyattinkara , Joshy of Kottayam  and Binu Augustine.  Tenth accused Ullas committed suicide during the trial.

The sentence will be pronounced on Friday, the judge said. According to the prosecution, the girl was taken by Lizy for prostitution  to various places, including Kanyakumary, Kumarakom boat house, Thiruvalla, Ramapuram and Thiruvananthapuram.

The girl was admitted to the Kottayam medical college hospital and later to the Theni government medical college hospital.   She  told her mother about the  sexual harassment while undergoing treatment at the Kottayam medical college hospital. The  mother filed a complaint before the district police chief, Kottayam, and  the Changanassery  police registered a case in 2008.

Mr T. Bijoy, the then DYSP, Kottayam, investigated the case and presented the chargesheet before the court. The court cross-examined 127 witnesses.  The accused were charged with abduction,  raping and selling the minor girl. Special public prosecutor N. Gopalakrishnan appeared for the prosecution and Suresh Babu Thomas , Boban T. Thekkel for the accused.