A Kerala court has handed down a 33-year prison sentence to a 27-year-old man from Madhya Pradesh for the rape of a 15-year-old girl from West Bengal. The ruling came from the Devikulam Fast Track Special Court (POCSO), where Judge Johnson M. I. delivered the verdict on Friday. The convict, Khemsing Aiyam, faced charges under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The judge’s sentence included multiple jail terms to run concurrently, totaling 33 years. However, Aiyam will serve a maximum of 20 years, as this is the longest period imposed by the court for a single term.
In addition to the imprisonment, the court ordered Aiyam to pay a fine of ₹1.5 lakh to the victim and recommended further compensation under the Victim Compensation Scheme, instructing the District Legal Services Authority, Idukki-Thodupuzha, to ensure this is provided.
The prosecution detailed that the crime occurred in 2022 when the victim’s family was working in Rajakumari, Idukki. Mahesh Kumar Yadav, the first accused, who was known to the victim’s family, took her to Aiyam’s residence where she was raped. Aiyam then threatened the girl and took her to Poopara, where he raped her again in a plantation.
Aiyam is the second accused in this case. The first accused, Yadav, has been on the run since his bail. This conviction follows another recent case involving the same victim, where three men were sentenced to a cumulative 90 years’ imprisonment in January for their roles in a gangrape case. These sentences are also served concurrently, with the maximum term being 25 years.
