Hung jury frees accused in rape of girl, 13
The accused in the rape of a 13-year-old girl walked out the High Court a free man yesterday after a jury hearing his case was unable to arrive at a verdict.
Arjune Mahadeo, called “Mukesh,” had been on trial for the charge that he sexually penetrated a girl under the age of 16 on August 25, 2015.
He had pleaded not guilty.
After deliberating for about two hours, the 12member jury was deadlocked. Trial judge, Justice Jo-Ann Barlow, enquired from the foreman whether the jury felt that further directions were needed. The foreman, however, informed the court that it was the final stance of the panel, which was split 9 to 3. The judge, thereafter, informed Mahadeo that he was free to go as the jury was unable to arrive at a verdict.
The facts of the case were that the former accused was a friend of the young girl’s family and they all attended the same church.
On the day in question, the court had been told, Mahadeo had gotten permission from the girl’s parents to take her to a wedding function at Mahaicony. The court had heard that the man had bought food for the girl and afterward took her to his house. It is the state’s case that he called her into his bedroom to apply medication on a sore she had on one of her shoulders and then raped her.
The state was represented by prosecutors Shawnette Austin and Tamieka Clarke, who called six witnesses to the stand.
Mahadeo, meanwhile, was represented by attorney Satish Kissoon.
The case was heard incamera at the High Court in Georgetown.