Man sentenced to 20 yrs in jail for raping minor

Vadodara: A 25-year-old man was sentenced to 20 years of imprisonment by a POCSO court in Savli for raping a minor girl. The man, a resident of Anand, was booked by Desar police in 2023 after he fled with a 17-year-old girl.
The girl's parents approached police and filed a complaint against the man after they learnt that she had left with him on Dec 18, 2023.
According to the police complaint, the girl told her family that she was going out for some time but did not return. Her parents told police that she had fled with the man a few days earlier too, but they both returned within a couple of days.
The complainant said that the families of the man and girl were in talks about their marriage, but there were some issues. The girl's parents went to meet the man's family, who said that the duo might return soon. However, her parents filed a police complaint.
The girl, on her return, told her family that he took her to various places and raped her. She also said that the man asked her to file a fake complaint against her own father before he filed a case against them.
Public prosecutor C G Patel pointed out that the girl's father's health was not in good condition.
The court considered all the evidence and observed that the man did not seem to be innocent and further added that such incidents affect the parents of many girls who remain worried about their daughters. The court also said that such incidents have a deep impact on minor girls and affect their education.
The court ordered 20 years of imprisonment for the man, along with Rs 4 lakh compensation to the girl.