Man gets life imprisonment for rape and murder of minor girl in Coimbatore

COIMBATORE: A special court for the trial of cases registered under the POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) Act has sentenced a man to life imprisonment for raping and murdering a minor girl.M Muthukumar, 42, a construction worker at Sivananthpuram near Saravanampatti, was arrested by Coimbatore city east all women in December 2021. According to the police, Muthukumar and the girl’s mother had worked together at a construction site. The girl’s mother gave him her ornaments, asking him to pledge them and give her the money. However, Muthukumar did not give her the money, citing various reasons.On Dec 11, 2021, Muthukumar went to the girl’s home and found her alone. He told the girl that he would return the jewellery and took her to his house, where he raped her. When she screamed, he slit her throat and murdered her. Later, he threw the body in a dump yard. Based on a missing girl complaint filed by her mother, the all-women police registered a case and began investigations. The recovered the body. During investigations, police found Muthukumar’s involvement in the rape and murder. He was arrested, and a charge sheet was filed before the Pocso court.Judge T Bagavathiammal pronounced the verdict on Thursday. The court found Muthukumar guilty and sentenced him to life imprisonment. The court imposed a fine of Rs 35,000 on him.