Kottayam: A Kayamkulam ambulance driver in Kerala, Noufal (29), who violated a 19 -year -old affected person whereas transporting her to a Covid care middle in 2020, was sentenced to life imprisonment on Friday.
The court docket discovered Noufal responsible of rape and different crimes underneath a number of sections of CPI. He was additionally convicted of Legislation SC and ST (prevention of atrocities), for the reason that survivor belonged to a scheduled caste. The convict was additionally fined with RS 2 Lakh. The incident occurred on September 5, 2020, through the first Covid wave. The survivor, who had been admitted to the Normal Hospital of Adoror, was being taken in an ambulance to Covid Ward on the Archana Hospital in Pandalam. One other affected person was additionally being transported in the identical ambulance.
The defendant first led Kozherery, about 26 km away, though Pandalam was nearer and left the opposite affected person. Whereas returning to Pandalam with the survivor, the defendant stopped the automobile in a desert place and raped it contained in the automobile. Then he dropped her on the Pandalam hospital and fled, stated prosecutor T Harikrishnan. Upon arriving on the remedy middle, the survivor knowledgeable the hospital employees and his mom, who was already admitted there, about sexual assault. The hospital authorities alerted the Police and Noufal was arrested the following day. He remained in custody through the 5 -year trial.
The incident precipitated generalized outrage all through the State, and plenty of criticized the Division of Well being for sending a affected person alone within the ambulance. After committing sexual assault, the defendant apologized to the survivor on the best way to the Pandalam hospital. She recorded her apology on her cell phone and handed it to the investigating officer. TNN