Gujarat: Man gets 20 years in jail for sexually assaulting two girls in Rajkot

RAJJKOT: A special court in Gujarat's Rajkot has sentenced a man to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment for sexually assaulting two minor girls within two months of the offence.
The court of special judge D R Bhatt in Gondal on Tuesday convicted the accused Salikram Moriya for charges under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
The offence was reported on May 20 at Sadakpipaliya village in Gondal taluka of the district, public prosecutor Ghanshyam Dobariya said.
Moriya had sexually assaulted the girls, aged three and five years, after luring them. The two girls were playing alone near their houses in the village, he said.
When the family members of the girls found blood stains on their clothes, they found out about the assault and lodged an FIR, he said.
An investigation was carried out by Gondal city's investigative unit of crime against women and the accused was arrested within five days of the incident.
A chargesheet was filed against the accused under sections 376 of the IPC, and 4 (penetrative sexual assault) and 12 (sexual harassment) of the POCSO Act, Dobariya said.
The special POCSO court delivered its verdict within 45 days of the incident after taking into account oral and documentary evidence produced by the prosecution, he said.