The Thiruvananthapuram Additional Sessions Court on Tuesday sentenced a 63-year-old man to 20 years and seven months of rigorous imprisonment for setting his 11-year-old nephew ablaze over a false accusation of theft in 2014.
Additional Sessions Judge Shibu M.P. who found the accused, George Titus of Kulathoor, guilty of the crime also slapped a fine of ₹1,55,500. He was found guilty for crimes under Section 307 (attempt to murder), 326A (voluntarily causing grievous hurt by use of acid, etc), 341 (wrongful restraint) of the Indian Penal Code, and provisions of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2020.
According to the prosecution led by Special Public Prosecutor Ajith Prasad J.K., the incident occurred on May 22, 2014 under the Pozhiyoor police station limits.
Hands tied
George, a cousin of the survivor’s mother, falsely accused the then Class VI student of stealing money from a neighbour. He then tied the hands of the child, dragged him to the kitchen, poured kerosene on him, and set him on fire. The child sustained grievous burns and was hospitalised for several months during which he underwent multiple surgeries.
The court observed that the assault resulted in permanent disfigurement and disability for the child. The survivor, now a young adult, suffers from fused fingers, arms fused to the shoulders, and neck fused to the chest, rendering him unable to lift his head.
Considering the brutality of the act and the lifelong suffering inflicted upon the survivor, the court ruled that the convict did not deserve any leniency in sentencing.
The prosecution presented 12 witnesses and produced 18 exhibits.
