Justice for Teen Suicide Victim: Cop Gets Life

A mahila court in Chennai has sentenced Constable Magesh to life imprisonment, over six years after a 16-year-old girl died by suicide. The girl had taken her life after police allegedly failed to register her complaint regarding rape and subsequent pregnancy by Magesh. The court found Magesh guilty of raping the minor, coercing her into an abortion, and abetting her suicide.

Magesh, who was dismissed from service, had befriended the victim during the Covid-19 lockdown in July 2020. He abducted and raped her, then coerced her into an abortion with false promises of marriage. When the girl realized she had been deceived, she filed a complaint which was initially ignored by the police.

Dejected by the lack of action, the teenager died by suicide in November 2020. Her mother then filed a complaint, leading to a case registration. Following a High Court directive, the investigation was transferred to CB-CID. Magesh was charged under sections of the IPC and Pocso Act. The court imposed a fine of 50,000 on Magesh, with an additional two years of simple imprisonment for non-payment. The Tamil Nadu government has been ordered to pay 5 lakh in compensation to the victim's mother within 30 days.