Last Updated on August 2, 2021 by Administrator
By- Neha Virmani.
On Monday, August 2, 2021 Supreme Court out rightly rejected the application moved by the victim to marry the convicted Ex-catholic Priest Robin vadakumchery, who was sentenced under POCSO for 20 years of imprisonment, for raping and impregnating a minor and upheld the Judgment pronounced by Kerala High Court.
Robin was vicar of St. Sebastian Church, kottiyoor, Wayanad District; in 2017 he was arrested by the police for raping a minor and impregnating her, from Airport while he was trying to escape to Canada. It has not been first time in this case where a plea has been moved in the court for the acquittal of convict on the bases of marrying the victim. However, this time the application has been moved by the Victim herself to the SC.
Seninor Advocate Kiran Suri while appearing on the behalf of The Victim stated that the intention behind this plea is to give legitimacy to the child. In her Plea the victim mentioned that “the child has attained a school going age hence, need to mention father’s name in the applications” thus, marrying the convict is the only option left to her.
However, the Court with single bench of Justice Sunil Thomas refused suspend the sentence of accused and stated that, ‘judicial approval cannot be granted for marriages specially in cases where it is proven that victim has was minor and raped in force. Further the court opined that, the grievances raised by the parties in High Court in 2019 is still pending in the court of law thus, cannot grant acquittal to the accused until such case has been settled.
