New Delhi: A youth has been sentenced to seven years in jail by a Delhi court for raping a minor girl after abducting and giving her a sedative-laced drink.
Additional sessions judge T R Naval sentenced 20-year-old Prashant for kidnapping and raping the 16-year-old girl and imposed a fine of Rs 20,000 on him, saying it had been established that he repeatedly had sexual intercourse with the victim against her will.
"I come to the conclusion that the prosecution has successfully proved all ingredients of offence of kidnapping, inducing woman to compel her for marriage, etc. Because evidence on record has established that accused kidnapped the minor girl from the lawful guardianship of her parents with an intent to compel her to marry him and when she refused to marry, he repeatedly committed sexual intercourse with her against her will and without her consent," the judge said.
The court also imposed a fine of Rs 20,000 on Prashant, a resident of North East Delhi, and said if the amount is realised, Rs 10,000 be given to the victim as compensation.
Prashant was held guilty of the offences of rape, kidnapping and causing hurt by giving sedative.
According to the prosecution, Prashant was living in the girl`s neighbourhood and on the intervening night of May 9-10, 2011, he asked her to come outside her home and with the help of his brother and sister-in-law, kidnapped her in a car.
The accused then gave her sedative-laced tea and after drinking it she became unconscious, it said, adding that on regaining consciousness, she found herself in a room in some village.
The girl had told the court that Prashant beat her and raped her repeatedly, pressurising her for marriage.
The victim`s father had lodged a missing persons complaint with the police. After a week, the accused left the girl at a police station. Prashant was later arrested.
The court, however, had discharged Prashant`s brother and sister-in-law of the charges.
Prashant sought leniency, saying he belonged to a poor family and was in a private job and his life would be ruined if sent to jail.
The judge said it is bounden duty of the court to hold the accused guilty and convict him.
PTI
