Palanpur: A special Pocso court in Idar sentenced a 20-year-old man from Aravali district to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment for kidnapping a minor girl and repeatedly raping her at several places in the state. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 20,000 and awarded Rs 3.5 lakh in compensation to the victim.The convict, Sandipkumar Jagdish Menat, a resident of Kishangarh village in Bhiloda taluka of Aravali district, was found guilty under provisions of BNS dealing with abduction, aggravated and repeated rape and for aggravated penetrative sexual assault under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act, 2012.The offence occurred on April 7, 2025, when the accused allegedly kidnapped the minor girl from her home in Dholiya village around 8am. He subsequently took her to various place, including Vadodara and Gandhidham, where he repeatedly raped her.The investigation was carried out by police inspector C G Rathod. During the trial, the prosecution relied on documentary and oral evidence and presented arguments before the Special Pocso Court.After examining the evidence on record, the court convicted the accused and sentenced him to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment. The court also directed that Rs 3.5 lakh be paid to the victim as compensation in addition to the fine imposed on the convict.
