22-year-old man abducted and raped a minor girl in Gujarat

News Desk: In a shocking incident reported from Gujarat, a 22-year-old man has been sentenced to 20 years’ rigorous imprisonment by a court for abducting and raping a minor girl in June 2020. The special POSCO court also slapped a fine of Rs 12,000 on the convict, identified as Sanjay Solanki, and awarded Rs 7 lakh compensation to the victim.

According to reports, the victim, who was then 13 years old, went to a nearby shop but did not come back home. Solanki kidnapped her after telling her that he would marry her. He took her to his native village, where he raped her twice. Few days later, the police reached the village looking for the girl.

The accused was taken into police custody while the minor was rescued. He was charged with abduction and rape under the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Relevant charges under the POCSO Act were also slapped against Solanki.

“Later, during the trial, additional public prosecutor Kishore Revaliya submitted medical and forensic evidence against Solanki which was upheld by the court,” a report published by The Times of India stated.

The court handed 20 years of rigorous imprisonment after holding him guilty of abduction and sexual assault of the victim. The court also charged a fine of Rs 12,000.