A court in Pathanamthitta, Kerala, on Friday sentenced a man to life imprisonment for brutally raping and physically assaulting a 19-year-old COVID-19 patient, who belongs to a Dalit community, while she was being transported to a first-line treatment centre near Pathanamthitta in 2020.
The sentence was pronounced by Judge N Harikumar, who also ordered the convict, Noufal (29), who hails from Kayamkulam, to pay a fine of Rs 2,12,000.
The court had found the accused guilty on Thursday, following the conclusion of arguments, and deferred sentencing to Friday.
The shocking incident took place at midnight on September 5, 2020, at a time when the country was gripped by fear due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Instead of taking the patient to the COVID treatment centre in Pandalam, the accused diverted the vehicle and transported her to a deserted area within the land allocated for the Aranmula airport project.
After entering the back of the ambulance and shutting the door, the accused forcefully restrained the woman and assaulted her.
The survivor, who was menstruating at the time, was raped after the accused covered her mouth. He also slapped her on the cheek and kicked her in the stomach.
During the struggle, the woman fell and sustained an injury to her left knee.
After the assault, the accused dropped the semi-conscious woman in front of a private hospital in Pandalam and proceeded towards Adoor.
The hospital staff, upon learning of the incident from the survivor, immediately informed the police.
Acting swiftly on her statement, the police apprehended Noufal and placed him under arrest.
Hailing the verdict, investigating officers said that collecting evidence in the case was a highly complex task due to the alarming spread of the virus in the state at the time.
However, the police managed to gather all the necessary evidence and ensure a proper sentence for the accused, they added.
The police stated that, as the survivor belonged to the Dalit community, the investigation team invoked relevant provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
The investigation was led by R Binu, deputy superintendent of police in Adoor at the time. Following the directive of the district police chief, a special team was assigned to the case.
After the incident, the accused had called the survivor to apologise, and she recorded the conversation, which became a key piece of evidence.
During the investigation, the police tracked the GPS route of the ambulance and, with the help of the district cyber cell, collected mobile phone tower location data and other digital evidence.
During the trial, the court examined 55 witnesses, reviewed 83 documents, and inspected 12 material exhibits.
District public prosecutor T Harikrishnan appeared on behalf of the prosecution.
The incident sparked widespread public outcry across the state, with many criticising the health authorities for sending a female patient alone in the ambulance.
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