28-year-old gets life term for kidnapping, sexual assault

The Fast Track Special Court in Sirsa has sentenced a 28-year-old man to life imprisonment for his involvement in kidnapping and other offences under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. The verdict was delivered by Additional Sessions Judge Praveen Kumar on Friday.

The accused, originally from Bihar, had been living in Sirsa in a rented accommodation. He was found guilty of abducting a minor girl in August 2020 with the intention of wrongful confinement and exploitation. The case was brought to the police’s attention when the victim’s family members filed a missing report on August 21, 2020, at the City police station in Sirsa. Investigations revealed that the accused had lured the minor and taken her to multiple locations.

The court charged him under various sections of the IPC and the POCSO Act. He was sentenced to five years of rigorous imprisonment under Section 363 of the IPC for kidnapping, and an additional five years’ jail under Section 366-A of the IPC for inducing the minor into unlawful activities. A fine of Rs 10,000 was imposed for each offence.

Furthermore, he was sentenced to one-year imprisonment for wrongful confinement under Section 342 of the IPC and five more years under Section 365 of the IPC, along with an additional fine of Rs 10,000. Under the POCSO Act, the court sentenced him to life term and imposed a fine of Rs 1,00,000 on him.

The sentences will run concurrently. The accused has been transferred to Sirsa District Jail to serve his sentence.