Tirunelveli: Special Court for Pocso Act has awarded four death sentences to Tirunlveli pastor Abraham (47) for sexually assaulting four minor girls in 2022 in Tirunelveli on Thursday.

Special Court Judge K Suresh Kumar awarded four death sentences and imposed a fine of Rs 52,000 on Abraham. Judge observed that the case fell under the rarest of rare category. The Court also directed the State Government to provide compensation of Rs. 10 lakh each to the four survivors.

According to the prosecution, he sexually assaulted the four girls, following which the Tirunelveli rural all-women police registered a case on July 5, 2022. He was arrested and a charge sheet was subsequently filed.

The convict is from a village in Tirunelveli district. The offence proved against the accused is of extremely grave nature, involving penetrative sexual assault on four minor children, said Judge. Police said the investigation was monitored by Additional Superintendent of Police M Shanmugam. Seventeen Pocso cases have ended in conviction in Tirunelveli district this year, including two death sentences.