Two awarded 20-year jail in sexual assault case

Aurangabad: Special Pocso court Judge Laxmikant Mishra on Monday awarded 20 years' rigorous imprisonment each to two accused in two separate cases involving sexual offences against minor girls.
Special public prosecutor (SPP) Shivlal Mehta said the convicts have also been fined along with the prison term.
In the first case (Mali PS case no. 06/24), the court found one Vimlesh Kumar, a resident of village Mirzapur, under Mali police station area limits, guilty under various sections. He was sentenced to 20 years' rigorous imprisonment and fined Rs 30,000 under the IPC and Pocso Act. Additionally, he was awarded seven years of imprisonment with a fine of Rs 20,000, and five years of incarceration with a fine of Rs 10,000. All sentences are to run concurrently, said the court.
According to the prosecution, an FIR was lodged on Jan 11, 2024, after a minor girl went missing from the market and did not return home. Following investigations and local inquiries, Vimlesh was identified as the accused who had lured the minor and sexually assaulted her. Charges were framed against him on Oct 28, 2024.
In the second case (Barun PS case no. 320/23), one Manish Kumar, a resident of Siris village under Barun police station was sentenced to 20 years' rigorous imprisonment and fined Rs 30,000 under the IPC and the Pocso Act. He was also sentenced to seven years of imprisonment and fined Rs 20,000. The sentences will run concurrently.
Advocate Satish Kumar Snehi, part of the prosecution team, said that the FIR in this case was registered on July 11, 2023, based on complaint number 539/23. The incident took place on May 23, 2023, when the accused had allegedly kidnapped the minor girl by luring her. Police filed the charge sheet before the court on Nov 28, 2023.