<p>The Ernakulam Additional Sessions Court has asked Madhavan to pay Rs 2 lakh to one of the three victims who stood by her statement. Three of the complainants had changed their stand during the trial.<br /><br />Madhavan’s modus operandi was to sponsor education of poor girls lodged in a rescue home in Kochi and bring them to his flat to sexually harass them. The court absolved his driver Thomas of complicity charges owing to lack of evidence.<br /><br />Madhavan was convicted in three cases relating to the rape and illegal confinement of a 13-year-old and 15-year-old girl. The court took cognisance of the oral and circumstantial evidence, CDs and video tapes presented before it. The police had registered six cases of sexual exploitation of three girls and a woman against the godman.<br /><br />Madhavan, a crorepati who dabbled in real estate deals and astrology, had links with several film stars, top police officials and politicians till the law closed in on him. However, the prosecution feels that Madhavan should have got life term and that the fine is not enough to compensate the trauma the victims have undergone. It plans to petition the High Court against the verdict.</p>
<p>The Ernakulam Additional Sessions Court has asked Madhavan to pay Rs 2 lakh to one of the three victims who stood by her statement. Three of the complainants had changed their stand during the trial.<br /><br />Madhavan’s modus operandi was to sponsor education of poor girls lodged in a rescue home in Kochi and bring them to his flat to sexually harass them. The court absolved his driver Thomas of complicity charges owing to lack of evidence.<br /><br />Madhavan was convicted in three cases relating to the rape and illegal confinement of a 13-year-old and 15-year-old girl. The court took cognisance of the oral and circumstantial evidence, CDs and video tapes presented before it. The police had registered six cases of sexual exploitation of three girls and a woman against the godman.<br /><br />Madhavan, a crorepati who dabbled in real estate deals and astrology, had links with several film stars, top police officials and politicians till the law closed in on him. However, the prosecution feels that Madhavan should have got life term and that the fine is not enough to compensate the trauma the victims have undergone. It plans to petition the High Court against the verdict.</p>
