Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): A special court dealing with cases under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences on Saturday sentenced a man to 20 years’ rigorous imprisonment (RI) and slapped him with a fine of Rs 8,000 for kidnapping and raping a minor girl on pretext of marriage in Sidhi district.
The court passed the judgement convicting the 54-year-old accused from Badarkhada village of Sidhi district. The incident occurred in April 2016. According to the prosecutor Bharti Sharma, the victim was alone at home when the convict Shribham Agariya, taking advantage of her loneliness, abducted her on his motorcycle and later allegedly raped her at different locations between April 21 and 27.
The Bahari police arrested him on the victim’s mother's complaint after registering a case under sections 363, 366 and 376 of the IPC and ¾ of the POCSO Act.
He was sentenced to seven years’ RI and slapped with a fine of Rs 2,000 for abduction, three-year’ RI and Rs 1,000 for sexual assault, and 20-year RI and Rs 5,000 fine for rape. In the verdict, the judge observed that the convict was being given the least possible punishment on account of his age. He was 48 at the time of committing the crime.
The probe was completed, and a charge sheet was filed by the police. District Public Prosecutor Bharti Sharma appeared for the prosecution party.
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