Thiruvananthapuram | A special court on Saturday sentenced a former temple priest to life imprisonment for sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl under the pretext of performing rituals to drive away evil spirits.

Thiruvananthapuram Additional Sessions Court (POCSO Act cases) Judge Shibu MP found the accused, Binesh (45) of Moothakunnam, Ernakulam district, guilty of the crime and further imposed a fine of Rs two lakh.

Binesh was formerly a priest at the Kannamoola Balsubramanya Temple.

The court sentenced Binesh to life imprisonment for two separate charges of rape under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and the Indian Penal Code, ordering that both sentences run concurrently.

The court also imposed a fine of Rs two lakh.

The court directed the District Legal Services Authority to provide financial compensation to the victim under the Victim Compensation Scheme.

The incident occurred in 2019 when the victim’s mother sought Binesh’s help, as her daughter was experiencing significant anxiety about her school examinations.

Binesh took advantage of the situation, convincing the mother that her daughter was possessed and needed special rituals. Under this guise, the accused took the minor to a room and sexually assaulted her multiple times over several days.

The abuse was uncovered after the parents, noticing that the girl's anxiety had not subsided, took her to a mental health facility.

During a session with counsellors, the victim disclosed the assault, leading the Medical College Police to register a case and arrest the accused.

During the trial, Public Prosecutor Kattaikonam Ajith Prasad and Advocate Bindu VC represented the prosecution, presenting the case against the accused and outlining the evidence.

As many as 17 prosecution witnesses and five defence witnesses were examined during the trial.

The court also considered 29 documents and eight material objects as evidence.