UP: Man gets life sentence for kidnapping, raping minor girl

Bahraich (UP), Oct 8 (PTI) A Special POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) court in Bahraich has sentenced a man to life imprisonment for kidnapping and raping an eight-year-old girl, making it his third such conviction in cases of a similar nature.

The court also imposed a fine of Rs 2.40 lakh on the convict.

Special Additional Session Judge (POCSO Act) Deep Kant Mani delivered the verdict on Tuesday, concluding the trial in a record 26 working days, Additional District Government Council Sant Pratap Singh told PTI.

The convict faces an additional 27 months in jail if he fails to pay the fine, he said.

On June 25, the eight-year-old girl was kidnapped from outside her home in a village under the Sujauli Police Station jurisdiction and was found late that night.

Police investigation led to the arrest of a village resident, Avinash Pandey alias Simple, who was charged with abduction, rape, and offenses under the POCSO Act.

According to the government counsel, Pandey is the first person in the district to receive three separate life sentences for multiple cases of the same nature.

He faces four rape cases in total, with a verdict pending in the final case. Across the three convicted cases, the total penalty imposed stands at Rs 5.60 lakh, and the court has sentenced life imprisonment in previous two instances on September 24 and 29, the counsel said.

Elaborating on the investigation, Additional Superintendent of Police (Rural) Durga Prasad Tiwari said between June 15 and July 3, four similar incidents occurred in the Sujauli area, where minor girls, aged between 5 to 8, would go missing and be recovered the same evening after being raped.

Following investigations, police arrested Pandey within three days. His mobile phone was found to contain pictures of several underage girls. Police had filed the charge sheet and successfully requested the court for an expedited trial. PTI COR CDN NB NB