Sambhal court convicts accused in rape of minor and sentences him to 20 years imprisonment

BAREILLY: The court of the Additional District and Sessions Judge/Special Judge under the POCSO Act convicted an accused in a case of rape of a minor, sentencing him to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of 50,000 rupees.

Meanwhile, three other accused were acquitted due to lack of evidence.The father of the victim, from a village in the Rajpura police station area, informed police that on the evening of May 26, 2022, his 15-year-old daughter was alone at home while he and his wife were at the market. During this time, Jitendra Kumar alias Chhotu, a resident of Rasulpur Kalan village in Budaun district, lured and abducted his daughter. She left her mobile phone at home and took 12 lakh rupees and two gold chains with her.Based on the complaint, the police registered a case against Jitendra and others and began an investigation. During the investigation, the minor girl was recovered after four months, and evidence was gathered. The girl informed police that she was actually abducted by a local resident, Chandrapal, who later sold her to one Tejtal. Later, Tejpal married her to his son, Netrapal.Police filed a chargesheet against Netrapal and others under the sections of abduction, rape, and the POCSO Act. After trial, the court of ADJ Awadhesh Kumar Singh found Netrapal guilty under the sections of rape and the POCSO Act, while three accused were acquitted due to lack of evidence. Special Public Prosecutors Narendra Kumar Singh Yadav and Aditya Kumar Singh represented the state.

Narendra Kumar said, “The court found the accused Netrapal guilty and sentenced him to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of 50,000 rupees under the POCSO Act. However, due to insufficient evidence, accused Chandrapal, Tejpal, and Natthu were acquitted.”(The victim's identity has not been revealed to protect her privacy as per Supreme court directives on cases related to sexual assault)