Faith healer gets life imprisonment in POCSO case

Victim girl ordered to be paid Rs 4 lakh compensation by Fast Track Court

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: The Fast Track Court (FTC) in Bengaluru has sentenced a faith healer to life imprisonment after finding him guilty under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) for sexually assaulting a minor girl. He was also sentenced to 10 years imprisonment for Rape under Section 376 of the Indian Penal Code.

The FTC judge also ordered payment of Rs 4 lakh compensation to the victim girl by the Karnataka State Legal Services Authority and also Rs 20,000 fine imposed on the convict will be handed over to the girl. The accused Manjunath Rao ran an industrial and medical gas supply shop in Singasandra.

He also kept images of Attilakkamma, Jaldagere Doddamma and Chikkamma in his shop and would perform pooja and distribute prasada to women and children who visited him. The victim girl’s mother had taken her to meet the accused to discuss her personal problem.

The accused convinced the mother that she was suffering from ‘Naga Dosha’ and a pooja had to be performed to ward off evil. On July 23, 2021, the victim’s mother took her to Rao’s shop again for performing the pooja. Rao sent her out to purchase ingredients for the pooja.

While she was away, he undressed the minor girl on the pretext of performing rituals. He then forced himself on her and sexually assaulted her. He threatened not to inform about it to her parents. The minor girl became pregnant due to the rape.

Charged with rape

Following a complaint, the Parappana Agrahara police investigated the case and Rao was charged under Sections 376 and 506 of IPC and under Sections 4 and 6 of POCSO Act.

Public prosecutor Geetha Ramakrishna Goravara argued the prosecution case before Judge Ishrat Jahan Ara who delivered the judgment on January 12, 2023. Rao was found guilty and sentenced to 10 years imprisonment under Section 376 of IPC and a fine of Rs 10,000.

He was sentenced to two years imprisonment and a fine of Rs 5,000 under Section 506 (criminal intimidation). He was sentenced to life imprisonment and a fine of Rs 20,000.