Rape accused sentenced to 20 years RI

[TamilNet, Saturday, 20 December 2003, 03:25 GMT]
The Jaffna High Court Judge, Mr.K.P.S.Varatharajah, Friday sentenced an accused in an abduction and rape case in his absentia for twenty years rigorous imprisonment. The accused had been indicted with abduction of a sixteen-year-old girl and raped her three years ago at Mallakam village in the Jaffna district, legal sources said.

After trial the judge found the accused guilty on both charges in absentia and sentenced him for five years rigorous imprisonment for the abduction charge and fifteen years for rape, legal sources said.

The Judge issued an open warrant on the accused, Mr. Thevarajah Nageswaran, who had escaped to a foreign country. The judge further said in his order that the accused should pay a sum of rupees 150,000 as compensation to the victim once he returned to the country, legal sources said.

The judge further ordered that the accused should serve the jail sentences concurrently, legal sources said.

The judge directed the court registrar to send copies of the arrest warrant to all exit points in the country.