IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS DATED : 03.07.2024 CORAM :

THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE M.S.RAMESH AND THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE SUNDER MOHAN Crl.A.No.372 of 2020 Indiran ...Appellant/Single Accused vs.

State represented by Inspector of Police, Thudiyulur Police Station, Coimbatore District.

(Crime No.23 of 2017) ...Respondent Criminal Appeal filed under Section 374(2) of Criminal Procedure Code, 1973, to set aside the judgment passed in Spl.C.C.No.47 of 2019 dated 14.08.2020, by the learned Sessions Judge, Special Court for Exclusive Trial of Cases under the POCSO Act, 2012, Coimbatore.

For Appellant : Mr.W.Camyles Gandhi For Respondent : Mr.E.Raj Thilak Additional Public Prosecutor

JUDGMENT

(Order of the Court was made by SUNDER MOHAN,J.

This Criminal Appeal has been filed by the sole accused, challenging the conviction and sentence imposed upon him, vide judgment dated 14.08.2020 in Spl.C.C.No.47 of 2019, on the file of the learned Sessions Judge, Special Court for Exclusive Trial of Cases under the POCSO Act, 2012, Coimbatore.

2.(i) The case of the prosecution is that the appellant was the cousin brother of the victim; that the victim had gone to the house of her aunt (the appellant