Decades later, main accused gets 24 years in jail

The additional sessions court in Kottayam (central Kerala) on Friday sentenced 51-year-old Suresh alias S M Shahjahan to 24 years of Rigorous Imprisonment for raping a minor girl from Vithura, keeping her in illegal custody and trafficking her into sexual slavery, in a case that first came to light over two decades ago.

Suresh, the main accused, was found guilty under sections 344 (wrongful confinement) and 372 (for selling a girl for flesh trade), among others of the Indian Penal Code as well as under the Immoral Trafficking Prevention Act, in one out of the 24 cases on Thursday.

Justice Johnson John said on

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:

Friday that the accused did not deserve sympathy and the trial in the remaining cases will be expedited.

The crime came to light in 1996 after the victim, then 17, was arrested from a hotel in Ernakulam for involvement in sex trade. While in prison, she narrated her story to the police, whose investigation eventually led to over 40 people, including comedian Jagathi Sreekumar, being booked for sexual exploiting her. Sreekumar was eventually acquitted for want of evidence in 2007.

“God is great and the truth has won. I know many people were praying for me and their prayers have been answered. I have nothing against anyone,” the actor had said.

Suresh emerged as a trafficking kingpin who paid a certain Ajitha Begum, who was a relative of the victim, to bring her to him under a false pretext. The minor, who hailed from a low income family, was kept in illegal custody for 10 days and raped by Suresh.

She was also raped by other close to 40 men whom Suresh introduced her to over the period of a year.

Soon after being booked, Suresh went into hiding for nearly 20 years, only to re-emerge in 2014, when he surrendered before the Ernakulam Judicial First Class Magistrate court and received bail. By this time, the court had acquitted 14 persons and Ajitha Begum had died in a road accident. Soon after receiving bail, Suresh absconded during the trial proceedings. He was later caught in Hyderabad.

During the trial the victim, now 43, narrated her ordeal and informed the court that Suresh had physically assaulted her, locked her up and starved for days on end to ensure her sexual slavery.

In 2013, she had complained of how she was unable to identify her tormentors because of the lapse of so many years.

THE CRIME CAME TO LIGHT IN 1996 AFTER THE VICTIM, THEN 17, WAS ARRESTED FROM A HOTEL IN ERNAKULAM FOR INVOLVEMENT IN SEX TRADE