A special court in Varanasi has sentenced a 16-year-old convict to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment for kidnapping and raping a 15-year-old girl in January 2024. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 25,000 on the convict.
Case Details
According to the special public prosecutor (POCSO), Santosh Kumar Singh, the incident occurred in January 2024 when the accused, who was 16 years and eight months old at the time, kidnapped and raped the minor girl. The victim's mother filed a complaint at Jaitpura police station, leading to the arrest of the accused.
Legal Proceedings
The case was tried under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. The court examined six witnesses to establish the crime. The prosecution presented strong witness statements, medical evidence, and scientific proof that conclusively proved the guilt of the accused beyond any reasonable doubt.
Verdict and Sentencing
Special Judge (POCSO Act) Nitin Pandey found the accused guilty under Sections 363 (kidnapping), 366 (kidnapping a woman to compel her marriage), and 376 (rape) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), as well as Sections 3 and 4 of the POCSO Act. The court awarded 20 years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs 25,000.
The convict, who was a juvenile at the time of the crime, was treated as an adult under the Juvenile Justice Act due to the heinous nature of the offense. The court emphasized the need for strict punishment to deter similar crimes against minors.
