UP: After just 8 days of trial, 2 men get 20 years RI for raping, abducting minor girl

MEERUT: A court in Sambhal sentenced two men (in their early 20s) to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment each for raping a 13-year-old girl after abducting her and keeping her at isolated locations for over a month. Officials said on Wednesday that the verdict was delivered within eight days of the trial.

While pronouncing the judgment, special Pocso court judge Avdhesh Kumar Singh said, "The accused men committed a heinous and sinful act against an innocent child despite being of sound mind and full understanding. Such depravity leaves no room for leniency. They deserve the strictest punishment under the law. The aggravated sexual assault caused lasting physical and psychological trauma to the survivor."

On Oct 15 last year, the girl was abducted by the two men from her village while she was on her way to collect fodder from a nearby field in the evening. "They took her to several isolated locations where they kept her captive for over a month. The convicts kept changing locations, including Noida, Gujarat and hilly areas, to evade arrest. During this period, the girl was raped by both of them before she finally managed to escape on Nov 17 and approached the police," said special public prosecutor Aditya Kumar Singh.

An FIR was registered on Nov 20 under BNS sections 70(2) (gang rape), 137 (kidnapping) and sections 5 and 6 of the Pocso Act. Police filed the chargesheet on Jan 12 and the verdict was delivered in just eight days. "The survivor's testimony and medical report proved crucial in ensuring the swift conclusion of the trial," Singh added.

The defence argued that both men were labourers and sole breadwinners of their families and sought leniency. The court rejected the plea, stating that economic circumstances could not justify a crime of such gravity.

"After examining all evidence and hearing arguments from both sides, it is clear that the accused lured and abducted the minor and committed aggravated penetrative sexual assault. No leniency can be justified in such circumstances," the court said.

Sambhal SP Krishan Kumar Bishnoi said the verdict reflected the success of Operation Conviction, a UP Police drive to expedite trials involving crimes against women and children and other serious offences. He said that close coordination between police, prosecutors, and the judiciary helped secure the conviction.