Madras HC confirms death sentence on man for sexually assaulting three girl children

Madurai: Confirming the death sentence imposed by a trial court on a man for sexually assaulting three girl children in Tirunelveli district, Madras high court on Tuesday observed that a crime so grotesque, so utterly devoid of a shred of human conscience, demands a judicial response that mirrors society’s collective abhorrence.According to the prosecution, Anandha Sekar, a daily wage labourer, took three minor girls aged six, seven and eight to the house of the one of the girls’ grandmothers when she was away at work. He sexually assaulted the girls and also threatened them not to reveal it to anyone. When the incident came to light, their parents lodged a police complaint in 2023.On March 12, 2026, the special court for exclusive trial of cases under Pocso Act in Tirunelveli, convicted and imposed the death sentence on the man.

The case was referred to HC Madurai bench for confirming the trial court’s sentence. The man (appellant) also filed an appeal challenging the order.A division bench of justice N Anand Venkatesh and justice K K Ramakrishnan observed that the accused did not merely commit a crime against the physical body; he executed a calculated, systematic campaign of terror that shattered the innocence of three young souls. By weaponising fear, wielding threats of death, and forcing these children to witness the violation of one another, he did not just break the law but he extinguished the light of their childhood and left in its place a lifetime of haunting shadows.

The judges observed, “To spare the life of a perpetrator who showed such coldblooded, protracted cruelty would be an act of misplaced mercy, rendering the law a silent spectator to the destruction of the innocent. It would send a devastating message to the community: that the soul of a child is cheap, and that a monster may trade the lifelong peace of his victims for the comfort of a prison cell.”“We are acutely aware that the death penalty is an extraordinary measure, reserved exclusively for the ‘rarest of rare’ cases where the alternative is unquestionably foreclosed.

This case stands as the tragic epitome of that exception. The law must possess a spine of steel when dealing with those who prey on children to satisfy their darkest instincts. Let this judgement serve as a stark, unyielding warning to any who believe they can manipulate, terrorise, and destroy the youth of our nation with impunity,” the judges observed.The judges observed that by confirming this sentence, the court does not act out of vengeance, but out of a solemn duty to justice, deterrence, and the restoration of the moral order.

For actions that have effectively slain the souls of three innocent children, the law can offer no sanctuary. The prisoner has forfeited his right to walk among humanity. “The case in hand demands wielding that sword with utmost severity since gravity of the case so demands,” the judges observed.Hence, the judges confirmed the conviction and death sentence on the man and dismissed the appeal preferred by him. The judges directed the high court registry to redact the names of the girls from all the trial court records. The judges also directed the Palayamkottai Central Prison authorities to provide necessary legal assistance to the appellant to prefer appeal against this judgment, if the appellant so desires.