UP: Man gets 25 years in jail for kidnapping, raping minor girl

Ballia (UP): A man has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for kidnapping and raping a 16-year-old girl here, officials said on Saturday.

According to the prosecution, the girl from a village under Bhimpura police station area of the district was kidnapped and raped by Harivrind Singh, a resident of a nearby village, on May 30, 2023.

Based on the complaint filed by the victim's father, a case was registered against Singh under sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) as well as POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) Act, the prosecution said, adding that following investigation, the police filed a chargesheet against the accused in the court.

After hearing the arguments of both the sides on Friday, the court of Additional Sessions Judge Pratham Kant convicted the accused and sentenced him to 25 years of imprisonment and also imposed a fine of Rs 30,000 on him, the officials said.