BREAKING: Madras HC Rejects Appeal, Confirms Life Imprisonment for 35-Year-Old Man in 2015 Rape of 15-Year-Old Scheduled Caste Classmate’s Friend – “Classic Exploitation of Vulnerable Sections”
CHENNAI, India – The Madras High Court has upheld a life sentence for a man convicted of raping a 15-year-old girl from the Scheduled Caste (SC) community, emphasizing the severe exploitation of vulnerable children in a landmark ruling that underscores the gravity of caste-based sexual abuse.
The division bench of Justices M.S. Ramesh and V. Lakshminarayanan dismissed the appeal on October 10, 2025, affirming the 2018 trial court verdict against Murugesan @ Murugesh, a 35-year-old resident of Denkanikottai. The accused, father to the victim’s classmate and close friend, had initiated the assault during the Dussehra holidays in October 2015 while the girl was asleep at his home.
The abuse continued during her subsequent visits, leading to her pregnancy, after which he kidnapped and confined her in Coimbatore to conceal the offense.
The victim, whose birth date of July 20, 2000, was verified via her school leaving certificate from John Britto Higher Secondary School, was just 15 years and three months old at the time. The court rejected the accused’s claims of a consensual relationship and assertions that she was 18, prioritizing the school record under Section 94(2) of the Juvenile Justice Act.
The bench also dismissed allegations of a fabricated case involving the accused’s wife and her police officer brother-in-law, noting the pregnancy and birth of a child as irrefutable evidence of sexual intercourse.
In the trial court, Murugesan was convicted under provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act (SC/ST Act).
He received life imprisonment under Section 3(2)(v) of the SC/ST Act for the caste-aware offense, 12 years under Section 5(l) read with Section 6 of the POCSO Act, and 10 years under Section 366 of the IPC for kidnapping.
The High Court bench was unequivocal in its stance: “The question of obtaining consent from a child for sexual relations does not arise.” Citing the Supreme Court’s ruling in State of Maharashtra v. Chandraprakash Kewalchand Jain, the judges added, “To insist on corroboration in all cases is to equate a woman who is a victim of lust with an accomplice and thereby insult womanhood.”
They described the case as “a classic example of the exploitation of vulnerable sections, especially children belonging to Scheduled Castes and Tribes,” and ordered the accused’s immediate custody to serve the sentence.
The ruling serves as a stark reminder of the ongoing challenges faced by marginalized communities, particularly minor girls from SC backgrounds, in accessing justice against predatory abuse. Legal experts hail the decision for reinforcing the stringent application of POCSO and SC/ST Act provisions, potentially setting a precedent for similar cases involving caste dynamics and child exploitation.
This story is developing, with further reactions from activists and legal bodies expected in the coming days.
Myself Aditya and I am from Mumbai, India. As an intern, I joined the local news agency in Mumbai named “The Mumbai News”. Now I am working with various News Agencies and I provide them reports from Mumbai and other parts of India.
