Kasaragod paediatrician gets 47 years for raping minor girl at clinic
An Indian court sentenced seventy-eight-year-old retired paediatrician Dr P. Krishnan to forty-seven years of rigorous imprisonment, effectively serving twenty years, for raping a minor girl at his clinic in June 2020.
An Indian court sentenced seventy-eight-year-old retired paediatrician Dr P. Krishnan to forty-seven years of rigorous imprisonment, effectively serving twenty years, for raping a minor girl at his clinic in June 2020.
An Indian court sentenced seventy-eight-year-old retired paediatrician Dr P. Krishnan to forty-seven years of rigorous imprisonment, effectively serving twenty years, for raping a minor girl at his clinic in June 2020.
Kasaragod: A paediatrician in Kasaragod, who retired as the superintendent of the district hospital, has been sentenced to 47 years of rigorous imprisonment for raping a minor girl at his clinic.
Dr P Krishnan (78) was convicted of raping the girl and committing two forms of aggravated sexual assault under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. As the sentences will run concurrently, he will have to serve 20 years in prison, said public prosecutor A Gangadharan.
The Hosdurg Fast Track Special Court judge Suresh P M pronounced the sentence on Saturday, October 31.
The crime happened on June 25, 2020, when strict COVID-19 pandemic restrictions were in place in the district. Dr Krishnan was 72 then.
The girl, then 15, had gone to Krishnan's clinic in Periya with her father to seek treatment for an infected sore on her leg. The doctor took her into his examination room and sexually assaulted her, Adv Gangadharan said. The girl revealed her ordeal to her parents the next day.
Judge Suresh awarded Dr Krishnan 20 years of rigorous imprisonment for raping a girl under 16 years under Section 376 (3) of the IPC. The doctor was also sentenced to 20 years under Section 6 (1) read with Section 5 (e) of the POCSO Act for penetrative sexual assault by a hospital management member. "Under these two sections, 20 years is the minimum. The maximum is a life sentence, which means the rest of his life," said the prosecutor.
A further seven-year sentence was imposed under Section 10 read with Section 9 (e) of the POCSO Act for aggravated sexual assault by hospital management against a child.
The court also imposed fines totalling ₹1.25 lakh. Failure to pay them would attract an additional 18 months in prison.
Bekal police, which investigated the case, did not arrest Dr Krishnan during the investigation as he had secured anticipatory bail. He was taken into custody after the verdict and sent to prison, Gangadharan said.
A trained paediatrician, Krishnan had retired as superintendent of the Kasaragod District Hospital in Kanhangad and subsequently started a clinic in Periya.
The case was investigated by Inspector P Narayanan of Bekal Police. Inspector Nizam, who succeeded him, completed the investigation and filed the chargesheet.