Mysuru: Initially, this rapist denied that it was his child but circumstances and fear of being imprisoned forced him to accept that he was the child’s father. He literally begged before the judge to spare him as he has to ‘take care of his child’. But the judge was unmoved and sentenced him to 14 years in jail and also imposed a fine of Rs. 5 lakh.

This is the story of 33-year-old K.J. Mahesh Gowda, who was jailed by the Sixth Additional District and Sessions Court yesterday in a rape case that was reported in 2014. Mahesh had repeatedly raped a minor who delivered a child. Mahesh had disowned the child and his lie was nailed by the DNA test that established that he was the child’s father.

Mahesh Gowda, basically a real estate agent and who was the President of Mysore district BSR Congress, faced charges under provisions of the IPC and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act. Vidyaranyapuram Police had filed a charge-sheet against him.

Though the case was heard and the trial was completed, the judge Vijayakumar M. Paule had to wait to pronounce the judgement seven times as the accused stayed away from the court.

When the case came to light, Mahesh feigned illness and got himself admitted to a hospital for months. He used the same tactics to hoodwink the Court. Mahesh, however, surrendered before the court on Dec. 20 and the judgement was pronounced yesterday at 3 pm where the Court sent him to 14 years in jail and also imposed a fine of Rs. 5 lakh out of which Rs. 4 lakh has to be handed over to the victim.

Before the judge read out the judgement, Mahesh pleaded before him to show mercy as he has to ‘take care of his child’. Ironically, during the trial, the same Mahesh Gowda had denied that he was the child’s father. Pleading before the judge was his last chance to escape a jail term. But the judge showed no mercy.

Mahesh had come in contact with the victim’s mother following the death of her husband and he used to help her financially. Gradually, his eyes fell on her daughter and he sexually abused her, impregnating the victim. During the trial, the victim had stated that as Mahesh was helping her family to come out of financial crisis and she did not report the rape though Mahesh violated her repeatedly.

Even the victim’s mother told the Court that she did not notice her daughter’s pregnancy for nine months and she realised that her daughter was pregnant just three days before she delivered the child.