Thiruvananthapuram: The Additional District Court in Thiruvananthapuram on Friday sentenced Sanal Kumar alias Binu, a native of Mullassery, Karakulam, to 17 years of rigorous imprisonment (RI) for raping a woman. Judge MP Shibu also imposed a fine of ₹1 lakh on the accused, who has been identified as a local political leader.

The incident happened in 2012 when the survivor, who was living alone in a rented house, became a target of persistent harassment by the associates of the accused. Under the pretext of resolving the issues, Sanal Kumar arranged a meeting with the woman at her place, during which he sexually assaulted her. When she resisted and screamed for help, he tied her hands with a shawl and proceeded with the crime.

The survivor sought medical help immediately but delayed filing a complaint with the Peroorkada police due to fear. The court convicted Sanal Kumar based solely on her testimony, in line with the Supreme Court’s ruling that a survivor’s statement can be sufficient evidence in such cases.

The case was investigated by then-Peroorkada Circle Inspector R Prathapan Nair, with the prosecution presenting 12 witnesses, 20 documents, and seven pieces of evidence. Public Prosecutor Kattaikonam JK Ajithprasad and Advocate Bindu VC represented the prosecution.