Ggm court sentences two to 20 years for raping minor girl in Manesar

A city court on Monday sentenced two men to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment for kidnapping and raping a 16-year-old girl from IMT Manesar in 2021. 

The special fast-track court of additional district judge Ashwani Kumar also fined the convicts ₹50,000 each, with an additional six months’ imprisonment in case of non-payment. The prime accused was convicted under Section 6 (penetrative aggravated assault) of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, while his accomplice was convicted under Section 17 (abetment of an offence under the Act). 

The victim, a Class 11 student, had left home on August 13, 2021, after being scolded by her father over a minor issue. According to special public prosecutor Sunil Kumar Parmar, two men offered her a lift in a commercial vehicle, promising to take her to the Gurugram interstate bus depot. Instead, they took her to a hotel and raped her. 

The minor managed to escape and return home, following which her parents filed a missing complaint at IMT Manesar police station on August 14, 2021, police said. A medical examination confirmed the rape, they added. 

According to police, the prime accused, a native of Etawah, was arrested on August 18, 2021, while his accomplice, hailing from Jalaun, Uttar Pradesh, was apprehended the next day. 

The police presented critical evidence, including CCTV footage showing the accused taking the victim away in their vehicle and accompanying her to the hotel. “The hotel manager testified about their arrival, which strengthened the case,” Parmar said. 

The court relied on this evidence, along with witness depositions and other exhibits, to convict the duo, officials said. It also ruled that the detention period already served by the convicts during the trial would be deducted from their total sentence.