The Fast Track Mahila Court in Erode on Wednesday (June 18, 2025) sentenced a 36-year-old man to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment for sexually assaulting a minor girl in 2020.
According to the prosecution, G. Moorthy, who was employed at a brick manufacturing unit, frequently visited the home of a co-worker and became acquainted with his daughter, a Class 10 student. He gifted her a mobile phone and maintained frequent contact.
On November 15, 2020, he lured the girl with a promise of marriage and took her to his friend’s house in Dharmapuri, where he sexually assaulted her. He later married her and started living with her.
Following a complaint lodged by the girl’s parents, the Arachalur police rescued her and registered a case under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, and sections of the IPC related to kidnapping.
After the trial, Judge C. Sornakumar sentenced Moorthy to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment for sexual assault, five years for kidnapping, and one year for marrying a minor. The sentences will run concurrently. A fine of ₹35,000 was also imposed.
The judge recommended that the State government provide a compensation of ₹2 lakh to the victim. Moorthy has been lodged in Coimbatore Central Prison.
Published – June 18, 2025 08:00 pm IST
