Paedophile Murderer Awarded 23-year Rigorous Imprisonment

By J Shanmugha Sundaram

Published: 25th March 201

VELLORE:A 50- year-old temple priest was sentenced to 23-year rigorous imprisonment (RI) by the Mahila Court in Vellore on Tuesday for abducting, sexually abusing and murdering a five-year-old girl 3 years ago.

Kumar being taken to the court complex on Tuesday | s dinesh

The court also imposed a fine of Rs 5,000 on him.  The Judge A Nazeer Ahmed found the accused, Kumar (alias) Kumara Gurukal of Pandiyan Nagar in Gudiayttam, guilty of abduction, sexual abuse, homicide and concealment of evidence. The five-year-old child, Lakshmi (name changed), was studying in Class I in Annai Indira Gandhi Middle School at Pandiyan Nagar.

She went missing after lunch break on September 19, 2011. The girl’s father filed a missing person case with Gudiyattam Town Police. On September 21, two days after the girl went missing, residents found the girl’s body floating in a well near Gurukal’s house.

Police recovered her footwear and bangles from the priest’s house and on interrogation, he confessed to the crime and that he had lured the girl with

chocolates. When the girl resisted his advances and cried for help the priest smothered her to death and wrapped the body in a gunny bag and threw it in the well, according to Additional Public Prosecutor, E Sivajothi. Gurukal was sentenced under Sections 366(kidnapping, abducting, inducing for illicit intercourse),304 (ii) (culpable homicide) and 201 (causing disappearance of evidence of offence) of IPC.

Under each of these sections, the Judge awarded 10 years rigorous imprisonment and slapped a fine of Rs 5,000 with all sentences to run concurrently.