CHENNAI: A city court has sentenced a youth to 10 years imprisonment for raping and cheating a woman.

According to the prosecution, Thangapandi, 23, of Washermenpet had a relationship with Manasi (name changed) and promised to marry her. In May 2012, when his parents were away, Thangapandi took Manasi to his house and raped her. He asked her to remain silent about the incident, saying he would marry her. But after that he stopped meeting her. His parents then planned to get him married to another woman.

Manasi approached the Washermenpet police who registered a case against Thangapandi under section 376 (rape) and 417 (cheating) of IPC, and arrested him on June 24, 2012. Special public prosecutor Gowri Asokan said after getting bail, he married Manasi near St Antony Church in Parry's on March 19, 2013. He requested her to withdraw the case. The marriage was also registered in Parry’s. But, he deserted her again. When he did not turn up after five days, Manasi filed a case with the all-woman police station, Washermenpet.

Mahila court judge Meena Sathish sentenced Thangapandi to 10 years in prison and imposed a fine of 10,000 for rape, besides one year imprisonment and 1000 for cheating.