CHENNAI: The Madurai Bench of the Madras high court has upheld the life sentence imposed by a trial court in Nagercoil on T Kasi alias Suji for sexually exploiting women and extorting several lakh rupees from them, while making a significant appeal to young people and their families.The bench urged them to exercise utmost caution while entering into online or technology-facilitated relationships, highlighting the risks associated with such interactions.In a 137-page judgment, a bench of justices N Anand Venkatesh and KK Ramakrishnan observed that, in the digital age, unscrupulous individuals often exploit the trust and emotional vulnerability of young girls and women by inducing them to share intimate photographs or videos.Such material is then used as a tool for blackmail, subjecting victims to prolonged exploitation, humiliation and severe psychological trauma.“No matter how deep the affection, trust, or promise of confidentiality may appear, intimate photographs or videos should never be shared digitally with anyone. Once such material leaves one’s exclusive control, it can be easily misused, leading to irreversible harm to the victim’s privacy, dignity, and mental well-being,” the judges cautioned.Recognising the wider public importance of the issue, the bench delivered this portion of the judgment in English, Tamil and Hindi to ensure the message reached a broader audience.Earlier in the proceedings, the court also expressed concern over the mental well-being of the woman investigating officer, who was required to examine 60 files containing obscene material while collecting evidence.The court observed that no amount of police or legal training can protect a person from psychological harm when exposed to such toxic material.It said the time had come for the judiciary and institutional leaders to address the challenge by introducing mandatory psychological evaluations, regular counselling, post-exposure stress management protocols and rotational deployment of personnel.The judges made the observations while dismissing the appeal filed by T Kasi alias Suji, a resident of Kanyakumari, against the life imprisonment sentence imposed three years ago by the Mahila court in Nagercoil.He had been convicted of sexually abusing multiple women and extorting money from them.The judges observed that the incriminating evidence regarding the number of victims had deeply shaken the conscience of the court.Pointing out that he was a habitual sexual offender and that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt, the judges refused to interfere with the trial court’s order.(With inputs from ANI)
