Ex-SLA soldier imprisoned for molesting child

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 17 September 2008, 13:42 GMT]
Trincomalee HughCourt Judge Mr.M.Ilancheliyan Tuesday sentenced a former Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldier to ten years rigorous imprisonment for committing grave sexual assault on a 5-year-old girl. The crime happened in February 2001. An SLA officer in the rank of Major who held the official inquiry into the incident gave evidence at the trial.

The Attorney General had indicted the accused M.Pushpa Sri under the amended section 365/B/2 B of Penal Code for committing grave sexual assault on a girl on 18.2.2001. The complainant girl used to visit to the house of the accused to play with other children there. On the day of incident when she was in accused's house as usual, the accused had taken her to his bedroom and tried to commit the offence. According to medical evidence, abrasions were seen on the breast area of the child. But there was no evidence to show intercourse, the medical officer who examined the girl said in court. The High Court Judge Mr.M.Ilancheliyan in his order said the accused had been charged for grave sexual assault and not for rape. The complainant, her mother, the army officer who held the inquiry against the accused and later handed him to the police, the report of the police after intensive inquiry held in the house of the accused and the woman typist of the army who had been staying in the house of the accused have given corroborative evidence. In addition to jail sentence, the accused was also fined Rs: 5,000 in default 3 months' RI, and ordered to pay a compensation of Rs: 25,000 to the victim, in default another one year of RI.State Counsel Miss Suganthi Kanthasamy led the prosecution and Attorney-at-Law Mr.M.Sabbaraullah appeared for the accused.