Kerala court sentences man to cumulative 19 years in jail for sexual assault of stepdaughter
Idukki (Kerala), (PTI): A Kerala court has sentenced a man to a cumulative of 19 years imprisonment for sexually assaulting his teenage stepdaughter at their home in Chempakappara area of Idukki district in the state.
Idukki Fast Track Special Court judge T G Varghese gave the man varying jail terms, for a total of 19 years, under different provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
However, the convict will serve only five years imprisonment, the highest of the varying jail terms, as the sentence is to be served concurrently, Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) Shijo Mon Joseph said.
The court also imposed a fine of Rs 35,000 on the stepfather, the prosecutor said.
It also directed the district legal service authority to pay Rs 25,000 for the rehabilitation of the victim, he said.
The incident related to the case took place in Chempakappara under Murickassery police station in Idukki earlier this year, the SPP said.
He said that according to the 13-year-old victim, her stepfather sexually assaulted her twice on two separate days when her mother went to take bath at night.
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AIITA welcomes Karnataka’s ban on obscene songs in school events
Bhatkal: The Karnataka unit of the All India Ideal Teachers Association (AIITA) has welcomed the Karnataka government’s decision to strictly ban school children from dancing to obscene songs during educational and cultural programmes in government, aided, and private schools across the state.
AIITA Karnataka State President M. R. Manvi congratulated the government for taking what he termed an important step to preserve the sanctity of education.
“Such decisions to safeguard the dignity of school children and uphold the values of education are the need of the hour. This rule should not be limited to government schools alone but must be strictly implemented in all private educational institutions as well,” he said.
He further urged the government to address other concerns within school programmes.
“The government should not only prohibit obscene dances in the name of school anniversaries, but also ensure that plays and dialogues that incite religious hatred are avoided. Schools should be centres of harmony, not platforms for spreading hatred,” he added.
According to a recent circular issued by the Department of School Education and Literacy, obscene dances are adversely affecting the mental health and moral values of students.
In this regard, schools have been advised to use songs that promote nationalism, positive thinking, the greatness of Kannada culture, and value-based traditions instead of inappropriate content during programmes.
The circular also emphasises that students should be dressed in decent attire.
AIITA also backed the department’s warning that disciplinary action would be taken against head teachers if such guidelines are violated. The association has further demanded that district Deputy Directors of Public Instruction strictly monitor the implementation of these rules.
