An ambulance driver, who was found guilty of raping a Covid-19 patient on way to hospital in 2020, was on Friday awarded life term by a court in Pathanamthitta.
The principal sessions court also slapped a fine of Rs 1.08 lakh on the convicted driver Noufal, a native of Kayamkulam. The incident had triggered outrage during the pandemic days in Kerala.
According to the prosecution, Noufal, a driver with the state health department’s ambulance service, picked up a Dalit woman from her house and was assigned to admit her at a Covid treatment centre in the district.
Instead of taking the patient to the treatment centre, he diverted the ambulance to a deserted area and raped her, before taking the vehicle to the Covid care centre.
After the incident, the driver had tendered an apology to the victim and asked her not to disclose it. The woman had recorded his apology on her mobile phone, which was produced as evidence in the court.
Noufal had already been facing a murder attempt case registered in 2019.
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