A Special CBI court on Wednesday sentenced five accused, including a woman, to 10 years' imprisonment in the Kiliroor sex scandal case of 2004 in which a minor girl was sexually abused by luring her by offering roles in television serials.
Judge T. S. P. Moosath found the accused guilty under Section 376(2-G) (gang rape) 120-B (conspiracy) and also for charges of abetting the crime.
The judge also slapped fine amounts ranging from Rs 10,000 to Rs 25,000 on them and ordered that the money realised as penalty be given to the victim's family.
Four of the accused - Praveen, Manoj, Kochumon and Prasanth were found guilty for rape while the woman, Latha Nair was also found guilty.
All the accused are in their early mid-thirties.
The case came to light after the girl died after giving birth to a child in a hospital in Kottayam district in November 13, 2004.
The victim had died due to certain health complications, which she developed after the delivery, the prosecution said.
The court, however, had acquitted the seventh accused in the case. The first accused, also a woman and a relative of the victim, had turned approver in the case.
According to the prosecution, the accused solicited the minor girl from Kiliroor village in Kottayam district,offering her a role in television serials. She was sexually abused by various persons at different places, they said.
The case was referred to CBI on a plea by the victim's parents, who alleged that state police investigation would not be fair as some ‘VIP’ had also abused their daughter.
Though the ‘VIP’ angle had then given a political significance in the case, the CBI inquiry did not come across any evidence to corroborate that allegation.