TNN | Nov 5, 2012, 02.39AM IST
NEW DELHI: A man has been sentenced to 10 years' rigorous imprisonment for kidnapping and raping a girl to force her into marriage. Additional sessions judge Kamini Lau held Raju Kumar Verma guilty of kidnapping the 13-year-old from here and taking her to Ballia in UP, noting that he was an "old player" and had earlier eloped with another girl who had died in mysterious circumstances after giving birth to two children.
"Of late, instances of young girls of impressionable age being allured and sexually exploited thereafter are on the rise, and this is a matter of national concern," the court said while imposing a fine of Rs 20,000 on him.
The 25-year-old convict had sought leniency from the court, saying he had a family to support. The court, however, turned down his plea, arguing that though the girl had eloped with him on her own, the law "protects minors and her consent is inconsequential".
The prosecution said Raju was living near the victim's house at Nithari village in northwest Delhi and worked as a mason there. He started courting her last year in September and wrote letters to her, police said, adding that he lured the girl to accompany him. Raju took the girl to Ballia, where he asked her to dress up like his wife, and stayed there for nearly six months, cops added.
The girl was later recovered by police after one of the neighbours came to know that the accused had kidnapped her and brought her there. During the trial, the girl told the court that Raju used to threaten her, saying he would poison her if she disclosed the truth to her family members with whom she used to talk on phone. She also said Raju had repeatedly raped her and she was pregnant when she was recovered by police.
Link: Man gets 10 years' jail for raping minor
"Of late, instances of young girls of impressionable age being allured and sexually exploited thereafter are on the rise, and this is a matter of national concern," the court said while imposing a fine of Rs 20,000 on him.
The 25-year-old convict had sought leniency from the court, saying he had a family to support. The court, however, turned down his plea, arguing that though the girl had eloped with him on her own, the law "protects minors and her consent is inconsequential".
The prosecution said Raju was living near the victim's house at Nithari village in northwest Delhi and worked as a mason there. He started courting her last year in September and wrote letters to her, police said, adding that he lured the girl to accompany him. Raju took the girl to Ballia, where he asked her to dress up like his wife, and stayed there for nearly six months, cops added.
The girl was later recovered by police after one of the neighbours came to know that the accused had kidnapped her and brought her there. During the trial, the girl told the court that Raju used to threaten her, saying he would poison her if she disclosed the truth to her family members with whom she used to talk on phone. She also said Raju had repeatedly raped her and she was pregnant when she was recovered by police.
Link: Man gets 10 years' jail for raping minor
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