Five get ten-year RI in Kiliroor sex scam

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The CBI court here on Wednesday  awarded ten years’ rigorous imprisonment and fine amounting to Rs 90,000 under various charges to the five guilty in the sensational Kiliroor sex scandal case.The sentence is the first after the inception of the CBI court here. Special judge TSP Moosath on Monday had found  Praveen of Cherthala, Manoj of Thiruvankulam, Lata Nair of Mallappally, Binu alias Kochumon of Nattakam and Prasanth of Eroor  guilty of luring Shari S Nair, a minor girl from Kiliroor near Kottayam, by offering her a role in tele-serials and abusing her sexually at various places  seven years ago.Considering the circumstances, the court found that this was not a fit case for invoking the benevolent provisions of the Probation of Offenders Act as they exploited the desire of a poor, rustic minor girl to become a TV artist. All of them have been sentenced under Section 120 B (conspiracy) with IPC 376 (2) (g) (gang rape) and four of them for gang rape.Though the jail term of all except Lata Nair would go above ten years under various charges, the sentence will run concurrently.The fine amount will go to Shari’s child when she turns a major.  The guilty will have to undergo  an additional six-month rigorous imprisonment in case of default of payment.Kochumon, 37, the fifth accused has been sentenced to ten years’ RI and  a fine of  `25,000 for gang rape  and ten-year RI and a fine of  Rs10,000 for conspiracy to gang rape along with five-year RI and  a fine of Rs 10,000 under Section 366 (A) (procurement of a minor girl).Second accused Praveen, 31, third accused Manoj, 38, and  sixth accused Prasanth, 30, have been sentenced to ten-year RI and a fine of  `25,000 for gang rape and  ten-year RI and  a fine of  Rs 10,000 for conspiracy for gang rape.Lata Nair, 52, will get ten-year RI  and  a fine of  Rs 10,000 for conspiracy for gang rape.CBI counsel KP Satheesan expressed happiness over the sentence. The counsel for the accused said they will move the High Court  against the verdict.In a related case, the CBI court will start the trial against two of the accused for giving shelter to Lata Nair from February 23.