Hyderabad court sentences auto driver to 20 years for abducting, raping minor

Hyderabad: A fast-track special court in Ranga Reddy district on Monday, April 27, sentenced a 23-year-old auto driver to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment for abducting and repeatedly sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl after luring her with a false promise of marriage, in a case dating back to 2019.

The Fast Track Special Court for Trial and Disposal of Rape and POCSO Act Cases at Rajendranagar convicted Shadnagar Arun, also known as Nani, a resident of Hanuman Nagar Colony in Rajendranagar, under sections 366 (kidnapping, abducting, or inducing a woman to compel her marriage) and 376(2)(i)(l) (aggravated form of rape, specifically committing rape on a woman suffering from a mental or physical disability) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Section 5(I) read with 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. 

The court also imposed a fine of Rs 8,000 and ordered the payment of Rs 3 lakh as compensation to the victim.

According to the prosecution, the accused induced the minor on February 12, 2019, took her to the Yadagirigutta Temple and performed a sham marriage before subjecting her to repeated sexual assault, despite being fully aware that she was a minor. A case was registered at Attapur Police Station the following day based on a complaint.