Youth sentenced to 20 years rigorous jail for raping minor

MP, 2, July 2025, Jalpaiguri : A youth has been sentenced to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment for kidnapping and raping a 13-year-old girl. The verdict was delivered on Monday by Judge Rintu Shur of the Special POCSO Court in Jalpaiguri. The incident occurred on May 27, 2023, under the jurisdiction of Bhaktinagar Police Station. The accused, a resident of Alipurduar district, worked as a construction laborer at a site near the victim’s home. He had reportedly been harassing the girl prior to the incident.

On the evening of the incident, the girl was on her way to a friend’s house for study-related reasons when the accused forcibly took her to a relative’s home. That night, he raped her there.

When the girl did not return home, her family informed the police. The next morning, the accused abandoned her in front of a deserted warehouse and fled. A security guard spotted the girl crying and promptly informed the police as well as contacted her mother. Later, the girl’s mother, accompanied by the police, rescued her from the location.

Following the recovery of the minor, her family lodged a complaint at the police station. On the basis of the complaint, the police arrested the accused and started a case under the POCSO Act. Special Public Prosecutor Debashis Dutta stated: “The police acted promptly, and the chargesheet was filed within the stipulated time. The court considered the testimonies of nine witnesses before delivering its verdict.”

Additionally, a fine of Rs. 50,000 has been imposed, with a further two months of imprisonment in case of non-payment. Besides this, the judge has ordered that Rs. 5 lakh be paid to the victim by the District Legal Services Authority. This judgment is a vital step toward justice for victims of sexual violence, especially minors.”