Ballia (UP), Jul 31 A local court in Uttar Pradesh's Ballia district has sentenced a 30-year-old man to 25 years' rigorous imprisonment for raping his 13-year-old neighbour nearly three years ago, a prosecution official said on Friday.
Special Public Prosecutor Vimal Kumar Rai said the Special POCSO Court-I, presided over by Judge Kant, convicted Prashant Rai on Thursday after finding him guilty of rape, criminal intimidation and offences under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and the Information Technology Act.
According to the prosecution, the incident took place on May 31, 2023, in a village under Narhi police station limits. The accused allegedly took the minor girl to his garage by threatening her, raped her, recorded a video of the assault and threatened to kill her if she disclosed the incident.
Following a complaint lodged by the victim's mother, police registered a case against the accused under the relevant provisions of the erstwhile Indian Penal Code for rape and criminal intimidation, the Information Technology (Amendment) Act for publishing or transmitting sexually explicit material, and the POCSO Act.
After investigation, police filed a chargesheet against the accused.
The court, after hearing arguments from both sides, sentenced the convict to 25 years' rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 32,000, Rai said.
