Chennai: Special court in Chennai handling cases that involve MPS and MLAs has convicted former DMK MLA Rajkumar and one of his associates. Rajkumar was accused of raping and murdering a 15-year-old from Kerala and after six long years, he has been awarded 10-years imprisonment and Rs 42,000 fine.

Rajkumar represented Perambalur constituency in 2012. He, along with his driver Mahendran and associate Jayashankar, were arrested then under IPC sections 376 (rape), 367 (a) (kidnap) and 302 (murder). The victim was hired then as domestic help and she hailed from Peermedu, Idukki district, Kerala. Within days, she sought her father's help to take her back home. Within a month, the father was told that his daughter is hospitalised in Theni district. The mother visited the hopital to find her unconscious. The girl died.

Perambalur police initially registered a case of attempted suicide. Relatives of the victim realised there were injuries on her body. Kottayam government hospital conducted an autopsy, which revealed that the girl was raped.

On Friday, judge Shanthi pronounced Rajkumar and Jayashankar guilty. The driver was acquitted by the police failed to prove charges against him.