Kerala High Court upholds conviction of former priest in rape case
The Hindu
The court, however, reduced the sentence of 20 years rigorous imprisonment awarded by the Special Court to 10 years rigorous imprisonment.
The Kerala High Court on Wednesday confirmed the conviction awarded by the Thalassery Special Court to Robin Vadakkumcheril, former Vicar of St. Sebastian Church, Kottiyoor in a case relating to raping a minor girl and also under provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
The court, however, reduced the sentence of to 10 years rigorous imprisonment.
Justice R. Narayana Pisharady, passed the verdict while disposing of an appeal filed by the former priest against the Special Court judgment.
The election authorities are gearing up for the counting of votes cast in the simultaneous elections to Lok Sabha and Assembly seats in Andhra Pradesh, scheduled to be held on June 4. The Collectors and Election Officers of Visakhapatnam, Anakapalli and Alluri Sitharama Raju (ASR) districts said on May 23 (Thursday) that their teams were ready for the counting of votes.
Responding to the prolonged water scarcity, the residents of the area took to the streets in protest on Wednesday. The protest, which drew attention to their plight, stopped only after the intervention of the police. It was not until 1.30 p.m. that a 4000-litre tanker was finally delivered by BWSSB, providing relief to the water-starved residents.