Thiruvananthapurm:
Five persons have been sentenced to 10 years rigorous imprisonment by a special Central Bureau of Investigation court for their involvement in the sensational Kiliroor sex scandal of 2004 in which a minor girl was sexually exploited.
The Central Bureau of Investigation court here also imposed a fine of Rs one lakh on the convicts -- Praveen, Manoj, Latha Nair, Binu alias Kochumon, Prasanth -- which will be given to the victim's parents.
Central Bureau of Investigation revealed that the minor girl was enticed by the accused with an offer of acting in television serials. She was taken to various places and gang raped. Consequently, she became pregnant and delivered a baby girl on August 15, 2004 in Medical College Hospital, Kottayam.
During the post-delivery treatment, she suffered from sub-acute intestinal obstruction for which she underwent laparoscopy and two laparotomies. During further treatment, she was affected by septicemia and died on November 13, 2004.
The CBI had registered a case on January 27, 2005.
"After completion of the investigation, a charge sheet was filed before the Court of Chief Judicial Magistrate, Ernakulam on June 8, 2006 against nine accused -- Omanakutty, Praveen, Manoj, Latha, Binu, Prasanth, Somanathan, Abdul Lathif and V R Devadas," a Central Bureau of Investigation spokesperson said in a release today.
Later, the cases were transferred to Special Court for Central Bureau of Investiagtion cases, Thiruvananthapuram.
The case against Lathif and Devadas was split up as the charge against them was only under Section 212 of the Indian Penal Code (harbouring accused Latha Nair) and is continuing.
Another accused Omanakutty was taken as approver, the official said.
The trial court convicted the five accused and acquitted Somanathan.