The Ernakulam Principal Sessions Court today is set to pronounce the quantum of sentence in the 2017 Kerala actress abduction and sexual assault case.
The prosecution had earlier sought life imprisonment for all the six individuals who were convicted. The six individuals are: Sunil A.K.A Pulsar Suni, Martin Antony, Manikandan B, Vijesh VP, Salim H and Pradeep.
Special Public Prosecutor V Aja Kumar had earlier said the six convicts could face life imprisonment for multiple offences, including rape, conspiracy and abetment, and he sought the same from the court.
The prosecutor added that since all six have been found guilty under Section 376(D) of the IPC (gang rape) and Section 120B (criminal conspiracy), they should all be equal in the eyes of the court and that the same punishment should be meted out for all of them.
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The prosecution argued that the sentence should be severe enough to be a deterrent or set an example for the rest of society.
Before the sentence was pronounced, the Principal Sessions Jude Honey M. Varghese, asked the convicts if they had anything to say, and what then unfolded was a dramatic scene.
The first accused, Sunil, A.K.A Pulsar Suni, told the court he has an elderly mother to look after.
The second accused, Martin Antony, broke down and informed the court that he spent 5 and a half years in jail for a “crime he didn’t commit” and that there was not even a single petty case in his name before. He also informed the court that he has ailing elderly parents to look after.
The third accused, Manikandan B, informed the court that he has a wife, a 9-year-old son, and a two-and-a-half-year-old daughter, for whom he is the only support.
The fourth accused, Vijesh, requested the court to grant him a lighter sentence.
The fifth accused, Salim, told the court that he has a wife and a daughter, adding that he is the family’s sole breadwinner.
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The sentencing process follows the December 8 announcement of the verdict by the court, which acquitted actor Dileep and his friend Sarath and found the aforementioned six accused guilty.
The court said in its verdict that it had been unable to prove Dileep’s involvement in the criminal conspiracy, citing a lack of evidence.
The verdict was a long-awaited culmination of an eight-year-long trial.
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