Kochi: The Ernakulam Special POCSO court here on Wednesday sentenced the victim's father Sanu Mohan to life imprisonment for murdering his 13-year-old daughter two years ago.
Additionally, Mohan was awarded a 28-year rigorous imprisonment for various charges, including kidnapping, intoxication, and offences under the Juvenile Justice Act. Ernakulam POCSO court judge K Soman also imposed a fine of Rs 1, 70, 000.
His life sentence will commence after completing the 28-year rigorous imprisonment. Though Mohan pleaded leniency in his sentence citing his 70-year-old mother being left alone with nobody to care for, the court refused to consider his plea.
The accused was given a life sentence after he was found guilty of murdering his daughter, Vaiga, in March 2021 in a case that shocked the state.
Mohan was arrested in Karnataka on April 18, 2021. He confessed to the crime and revealed that he had planned to take his own life after murdering his daughter.
The tragic incident unfolded when both Mohan and Vaiga went missing from their residence on the night of March 20, 2021. Earlier, Mohan had sent his wife to a relative's home.
Two days later, Vaiga's body was discovered in the Muttar River near Manjummel, while Mohan had disappeared from the scene. He was arrested after an over three-week-long manhunt.
Mohan's explanation to the police was rooted in his fear of his daughter being left alone after his demise. Although he initially intended to end both their lives, the second part of his plan did not materialise.
With PTI inputs